Solothurn plans to add 100 police posts by 2035

Solothurn’s cantonal police force is set to grow by around 100 posts by 2035, SRF reported on Thursday. The canton currently has about 600 police officers and records Switzerland’s highest number of reported offences per police employee.

The planned expansion follows the canton’s “Security Report 26+”, commissioned after a motion in the Solothurn parliament called for the cantonal police’s services and structures to be reviewed.

The report says Solothurn faces Switzerland’s third-highest crime burden while having the country’s fourth-lowest police density. The resulting workload means the canton records the highest number of reported offences per police employee nationwide.

The cantonal government wants to increase police presence and target organised crime more effectively. The expansion would cost a low double-digit million sum during its first three years, cantonal security director Susanne Schaffner said at a media briefing. She described the plan as an investment in security, the canton’s appeal as a place to live and work, and quality of life.

Schaffner said political leaders had previously been unwilling to acknowledge the problem, but that residents were now noticing rising crime. She added that she had requested additional police resources in the past, but parliament had rejected the proposals.

The government considers the planned increase moderate and says it would bring Solothurn’s police density into the Swiss middle range. Figures from the Conference of Swiss Cantonal Police Commanders show wide differences between cantons. Ticino has more than 300 police officers per 100,000 residents, while Aargau has fewer than 140.

Several cantons have increased their police forces in recent years, including Bern, Thurgau and Ticino. Basel-Landschaft and St Gallen are also planning increases, alongside Solothurn.

Emmanuel Fivaz, president of the Association of Swiss Police Officers, said staffing needs depended not only on population size but also on factors such as the presence of an airport or international organisations and the degree of urbanisation. However, he said crime statistics clearly showed that Solothurn did not have enough police officers.

Fivaz welcomed the plans, saying they recognised problems affecting both the population and the police. He also pointed to the high workload facing Solothurn’s officers, including growing administrative demands that limited their ability to carry out preventive work.