Stuttgart Partners Pledge to Ensure Respectful Interaction with Emergency Services Personnel
The city of Stuttgart has launched the Respect Campaign 2025, an initiative aimed at combating disrespectful behaviour towards employees of emergency services, control services, and other public service workers such as police, fire department, rescue services, and inspectors. The campaign is particularly focused on young adults and youth, using illustrative motifs of everyday situations faced by these workers.
Key elements of the campaign include the use of these motifs in Stuttgart's public spaces, including cityscapes, buses, trains, social media, and advertising areas. Animated videos reinforcing the campaign's message are also shown on SSB (Stuttgarter Straßenbahnen AG) trains. Foldable posters are available for passengers to take and help spread the campaign.
The campaign is a cooperative effort involving the city of Stuttgart, Stuttgarter Straßenbahnen AG, the fire department, the police, the German Red Cross (DRK), and for the first time, Johanniter. The objective is to raise public awareness about the issue and encourage individuals who behave disrespectfully to reflect on their actions and treat emergency and public service personnel respectfully.
The campaign website (www.ssb-ag.de/respekt) provides information on the consequences of disrespectful behavior and appropriate behavior in public spaces, as well as support services and offers for those affected. Contact persons for each partner are listed, including Birte Schaper for Stuttgart Streetcars AG, Eva Dähne and Andrea Buse for DRK District Association Stuttgart e.V., Daniel Anand for Fire Department Stuttgart, Timo Brenner for Police Stuttgart, Beatrice Weingart for Johanniter-Accident Assistance, Monja Urbano for State Capital Stuttgart - Office of Public Order, and Sebastian Bürkle for State Capital Stuttgart - Communal Crime Prevention.
In 2023, there was an increase in violence against police officers, with 809 cases reported, a 2.9% increase compared to the previous year, and 337 police officers injured, a 16% increase. There was also an increase in violence against rescue workers, with 236 cases registered, eleven more than the previous year, and 111 emergency workers injured, seven more than in 2022.
The photo shows, from left to right: Elma L., Barbara G., Rosemarie A. from State Capital Stuttgart - Traffic Monitoring, Hugo W. and Stella Z. from DRK, Antonia E. from Johanniter, Patrizia S., Meral N., Thomas S., Laura G., Matteo B., Johann F., and Harald K. from Stuttgart Streetcars AG (SSB), Timo Brenner from Police Stuttgart, and Daniel Anand from Fire Department Stuttgart. The photo is only to be used in connection with editorial coverage of this press release and is permitted in print, online, and social media. Forwarding of photos to third parties is excluded.
The campaign aims to raise societal awareness and call for more consideration and courtesy in interactions to ensure the functioning of the community. By taking a stand against disrespectful behavior, the campaign hopes to create a safer and more respectful environment for all emergency and public service workers in Stuttgart.
- As part of the Respect Campaign 2025, fitness-and-exercise and mental-health are promoted in workplaces, as they contribute to the overall health-and-wellness of emergency and public service workers, helping them perform their duties more effectively.
- The city of Stuttgart, recognizing the significance of science in understanding and addressing interpersonal issues, has collaborated with various organizations such as the fire department, police, German Red Cross, Johanniter, and city officials, bringing together expertise in science, health-and-wellness, and workplace-wellness to combat disrespectful behavior.
- In an effort to maintain a harmonious society and support the well-being of emergency and public service workers, the Respect Campaign 2025 encourages greater science-informed mental-health awareness and initiatives related to fitness-and-exercise, creating a culture that values and respects the roles these workers play in maintaining the community's health and safety.
