Björn Gutzeit becomes President of the West Hesse Police Headquarters!

Björn Gutzeit becomes President of the West Hesse Police Headquarters!

A new wind is blowing through the West Hesse Police Headquarters: Björn Gutzeit, previously President of the South Hesse Police Headquarters, has been appointed as the new President. The Hessian Interior Minister Roman Poseck welcomed Gutzeit to his new office and highlighted his extensive leadership experience. Gutzeit succeeds Felix Paschek, who has been serving as state police chief since mid-June 2025. The 51-year-old not only brings experience from the police and criminal police, but also as a trainer for young police officers.

Gutzeit began his career with the Hessian police in 1993 and worked his way up over the years. After various positions, including in the riot police and as head of the Wetterau criminal investigation department, he took over the presidency in southern Hesse in 2022, where he led the most successful police work in Hesse. He plans to continue the good police work in West Hesse and wants to further strengthen cooperation with the US armed forces.

Statistics from southern Hesse at a glance

Gutzeit is not only known for his leadership skills, but also for his handling of numbers. Together with department director Manfred Burkart, he recently presented the 2024 police crime statistics for southern Hesse. This shows that the region is considered the safest in Hesse for the seventh year in a row. In 2024, 46,519 crimes were recorded, a decrease of 1.9% compared to the previous year - a welcome development after two years of increases. The clearance rate remains at around 60%.

The frequency number in southern Hesse is 4,147, which is below the state average of 6,046. The Odenwaldkreis is the safest district in Hesse. While the numbers for street crime and theft showed a decline, crimes such as bodily harm and threats increased, with domestic violence reaching a sad record with 1,936 cases.

A responsible concern

Björn Gutzeit recognizes the responsibility of the police for security in southern Hesse and emphasizes that the safety of the population must always be the focus. The police crime statistics for Hesse as a whole, which Interior Minister Roman Poseck presented on March 6, 2025, also demonstrate the trend: 388,226 crimes were recorded in 2024, a decrease of 2.3% compared to the previous year. This is the first decline since the rise in crime following the coronavirus pandemic years.

The tasks in Gutzeit's new position are extensive: The West Hesse Police Headquarters is responsible for around 1.1 million people in Wiesbaden and four surrounding districts. With an area of ​​over 2,500 km², it faces the challenge of ensuring security in a large and populated area. Police Vice President Dirk Fornoff will manage the business there until the leadership in southern Hesse is replaced.

Gutzeit, who was born in Celle and is the father of three children, has set high goals for his new role. The excellent record of the South Hesse Police Headquarters could be a good omen for its future work in West Hesse. Exchange and cooperation with the population, as well as close cooperation with the US armed forces, are at the top of his agenda.

Further details on police crime statistics and the security situation can be found in the reports from Law and politics and Presseportal.de be read. The comprehensive statistics are also on the website Hesse police available.