Plauen welcomes Thomas Schmidt: The new citizen police officer is back!

Plauen welcomes Thomas Schmidt: The new citizen police officer is back!

Since December 2024, a new citizen police officer has been established in Plauen who is local and sees himself as a direct point of contact for citizens' concerns and needs. Thomas Schmidt, a returnee to the city, has developed great enthusiasm for his new role as the contact for public safety and order in his district. “I actually never wanted to leave here,” explains the 39-year-old, who considers his return a stroke of luck. As freipresse.de reports, Schmidt attaches great importance to personal interaction with citizens and wants them to feel comfortable in their living environment.

A central element of his work are the regular consultation hours, which will take place in the “Café am Park” in St. Mark's Church from May 2025. On the first and third Wednesday of every month from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., citizens are invited to discuss their concerns directly with Schmidt. Coffee is even provided to create a pleasant atmosphere. The first test phase of these consultation hours will run until the end of September 2025, with the focus being on the discussion of security issues, as markus-paulus.info describes in detail.

A strong network

The tasks of citizen police officers like Thomas Schmidt are diverse. They are not only active in presence and patrol work, but also support citizens, businesses and daycare and school sponsorships in their area of ​​operation. Concerns from the consultation hours will also be forwarded to the responsible authorities. Citizen police promote cooperation with clubs, authorities and institutions in order to improve security in public spaces, as the Saxon Police Headquarters emphasizes.

In addition to their role as contact persons, community police officers also take on tasks in the areas of fighting crime and traffic safety. This includes filing criminal charges and carrying out investigations and controls. An important goal of this initiative is to have a preventive effect and to provide educational work, for example through information events in schools or advice offers for traders.

A step in the right direction

Thomas Schmidt sees his role not just as a job, but as an opportunity to have a positive influence in his hometown. With an open ear for the residents and a clear plan for consultation hours, he relies on direct communication and trust. “Visitors are warmly invited to take advantage of our consultation hours,” emphasizes Schmidt and encourages citizens to take advantage of his offers. If you need help in urgent cases, you can of course rely on the more classic route via the police emergency number 110, but for many people speaking personally is the right step. Overall, Thomas Schmidt contributes to ensuring that Plauen remains livable and safe.