Thuringia Authorities Warn They Are Reaching Their Limits on New Year’s Eve

Five major cities in Thuringia are asking for police support well before the next New Year’s Eve, warning that municipal authorities cannot manage the night’s security demands alone.

The officials responsible for public order in Erfurt, Jena, Gera, Suhl and Weimar sent an open letter to Interior Minister Georg Maier of the Social Democratic Party. They said they were seriously concerned about handling security-related incidents during the celebrations.

Their complaint focuses on a structural gap. Municipal enforcement staff can identify violations, such as fireworks being used where they are prohibited, and refer those cases onward. But they are generally administrative officials without tactical operational training. When incidents involve crimes, police safety measures or coercive powers, the police must take over.

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The occasion is the challenges involved in managing security-related situations on New Year’s Eve.

The five officials want early agreement on how municipal authorities and police will prepare for and secure the coming New Year’s Eve. They stressed that many situations can arise at the same time, making a reliable and predictable police presence necessary.

The previous New Year’s Eve involved 108 recorded fireworks violations across Thuringia, about 80 fires, and several injuries caused by fireworks. A fire at Erfurt’s Domplatz also prompted debate over a possible general fireworks ban and whether such rules could be enforced. Investigators later concluded that the fire started with a smoldering blaze that had gone unnoticed for a long time, rather than fireworks.

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Without sufficient and reliably plannable police presence, especially on New Year’s Eve with many situations occurring at the same time, this cannot be managed.