In a bid to combat crime and enhance security for postal employees and customers, Austrian Post and the Federal Ministry of the Interior (BMI) have renewed their strategic partnership under the initiative Together.Safe with the Post.
The extended partnership will see the two parties boost efforts to investigate and prevent criminal activities related to postal services – such as theft, fraud and cybercrime – while ensuring the safety of postal infrastructure and the broader public.
Key components of the cooperation include an ongoing exchange of information between the postal service and the police, as well as a joint strategy to tackle criminal threats within the postal network. This collaboration will cover a wide range of security concerns, from protecting physical postal facilities like post offices and logistics centers to safeguarding IT systems that support modern postal operations.
Walter Oblin, general director of Österreichische Post AG, commented, “I am pleased about the continuation of our successful security cooperation, which brings added value to both the police and the post. The Together.Safe cooperation strengthens the security of the postal infrastructure but also the subjective feeling of security among the population. Police officers, postal workers and ultimately our customers benefit from this.”
As part of the initiative, postal employees will receive enhanced training in security-related areas, with special lectures and informational materials provided by law enforcement. This training is designed to help postal workers better identify and respond to potential threats, with a specific focus on dealing with emergencies, recognizing suspicious behavior and taking proactive measures to prevent criminal activity.
Interior minister Gerhard Karner said, “This partnership is an important step toward improving security in all areas of the postal service and shows how close the cooperation between security authorities and institutions such as the postal service can be in order to detect and prevent criminal activities at an early stage.”
The partnership is also geared toward tackling emerging crime trends, including cyberattacks and digital fraud, which have become increasingly prevalent in the digital age.