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In 2023, the Brandenburg Institute for Society and Security (BIGS) in Potsdam together with the Polish Platform for Homeland Security (PPHS) received funding from the Polish-German Foundation for Science (PNFRN) for the SAFE project – Security Alliance for German-Polish Endeavors. The project's goal was to conduct a criminological analysis of the border region shared by Poland and Germany, focusing on cross-border issues.
The project started in September 2023 with the identification of stakeholders for workshops held in February 2024 in Potsdam and March 2024 in Poznan. These workshops brought together representatives from the police, local authorities and the public sphere to discuss potentials, risks and necessary resources for analysis. The workshops led to some key findings and recommendations for conducting a cross-border criminological analysis of a regional nature of the area between Poland and Germany. The districts of Słubice and Krosno Odrzańskie on the Polish side and Frankfurt (Oder) and Cottbus on the German side were defined as the area for conducting a pilot analysis of the state of security perception among the inhabitants of the German-Polish border area.
The workshop noted the differences in crime statistics between Poland and Germany. The analysis will focus on comparable crime categories and the questions will be adapted accordingly. Surveys show that Poles rate local security higher than national security. The questionnaire will distinguish between local and general security and will address security related to proximity to the border.
The border context requires addressing crimes such as smuggling, illegal transport of goods, movement of migrants, human trafficking and organised crime. The questionnaire will also cover perceptions of new threats such as cyber security, online fraud, disinformation and online aggression.
Recommendations for improving security should be addressed to local authorities and community actors, including schools, the media and civil society organisations. The survey will assess residents' views on their role in preventing security threats, emphasising civil society involvement in public safety.
You can view the summary in English, Polish and German here:
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