The Police Unions’ Attitude Towards the Handling of Police Violence in Austria

Abstract

Time and again, the political discourse and discussions in Austrian media have evolved towards handing responsibility for investigating allegations of police violence to an independent institution. In 2020, the Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP) and their governing partners the Green Party included the establishment of such an institution in their coalition agreement. Little is known about the attitude towards this reform project within the police force itself. It has, however, been portrayed rather negatively in the media. This article analyses the communication media of police unions to gain an insight into attitudes within the police force towards reform projects and debates regarding police accountability. It shows that police unions primarily addressed allegations of police violence with defensive reactions to external debates in politics or the media. Their responses unveiled a lifeworld characterised by an environment perceived as harmful, which has given rise to the negative attitude towards the reform projects.