It is now two years since two young police officers from Saarland, Yasmin and Alexander, were killed in the line of duty near Kusel. They were shot in cold blood. For the families and friends of the two victims, 31 January 2022 marked a turning point in time and will never be anything other than the day on which they were senselessly murdered. District Administrator Dr Theophil Gallo is convinced of this, as he repeatedly and shockingly thinks back to the irrevocable events, and not just on 31 January. "It is important that we at least stand by the thoughts of all those who will probably never, not even in the distant future, be able to really come to terms with this cruel act because their loved ones were taken from them. I hope that the relatives will find a way of accepting the irreversible so that they themselves are not completely broken. And my thoughts are also with my colleagues in the police force, who have dedicated themselves to protecting the public and risked their own lives in the process," says District Administrator Dr Theophil Gallo. In conversations with the police, the District Administrator often hears this confirmed: Dealing with the emergency services is increasingly characterised by disrespect and a willingness to use violence. "The thoughtlessness with which police officers are not only verbally but also physically attacked these days is completely unacceptable. This must shake us all up so that we help to ensure that the much-described brutalisation and growing narcissism are not among the first character traits of our social life. This concerns us all. We live in a democracy, in a system that allows us to live in highly liberalised structures compared to other countries around the world. This should make us humble and grateful. Why is this awareness diminishing in some people's minds or why is it even missing altogether ...? Or is it a false understanding of freedom ...? The police absolutely have their rightful place in this system. Their tasks, which are indispensable for our society, simply must not be trampled underfoot; they deserve the utmost respect and decent treatment because they too have families and are people in need of protection. And for all that, in this system they are expected to do their job, which is why they deserve our unreserved protection and recognition. Politicians must also do their homework by clearly meeting the demands for more protection and security for police forces. 31 January will also serve as a reminder of this in future."
