The police have been working closely and trustingly with the Birkenfeld National Park district, the town of Idar-Oberstein and the Herrstein-Rhaunen municipality for many years. This proven cooperation has now been officially sealed with a security partnership. With this, the parties involved are sending out a clear signal: security is a joint task - and is best achieved through close exchange and cooperation with local people.
The aim of the security partnership is to strengthen objective security in the region and citizens' sense of security, to keep a joint eye on the security situation in public spaces, to react to developments at an early stage and to coordinate measures in a meaningful way.
The partnership's measures include regular network meetings, the follow-up of events or special operational situations and joint site visits. Measures that have already been tried and tested will also be continued. These include joint patrols by the police and public order office, police control days and presence patrols, which were already described in the concept for combating crime in public spaces (see press release dated May 22, 2025, https://s.rlp.de/nLRelQi). These have proven their worth in practice and should continue to make a visible contribution to security in the future. Prevention events are also to be offered - for example, information events for various target groups.
In the future, citizen participation formats such as the citizens' consultation with the city of Idar-Oberstein, which has been running since 2025, are to be further established. Due to the positive response, this direct discussion offer is to be maintained and continue to give citizens an uncomplicated opportunity to raise concerns, comments or questions. The citizens of the region are to be kept even more transparent and better informed through increased press work.
With the officially sealed security partnership, all those involved are underlining their shared understanding of responsibility: security is a joint task - based on cooperation, presence and an open ear for local people. District Administrator Miroslaw Kowalski expressly welcomes the conclusion of the security partnership in the area of responsibility of the Idar-Oberstein police, which also includes the area of the Herrstein-Rhaunen municipality: "After we launched a security partnership with the Birkenfeld police in summer 2025, this is another important step towards jointly strengthening security in the entire national park district. The close and trusting cooperation between the police, local authorities and the district is a key element in improving both the objective security situation and the citizens' sense of security. It would be desirable if the model of a security partnership could also be implemented together with the Baumholder police station in future." Police Councillor Kimberly Short, the head of Idar-Oberstein police station, echoes the words of District Administrator Kowalski: "I am delighted that we have taken another important step for security in our region with the official conclusion of this security partnership."