Key facts
The Federal Council asked the Swiss Federal Audit Office (SFAO) to review the resource situation at the Federal Office of Police (fedpol). The audit is intended to provide a response to a parliamentary procedural request asking whether fedpol has sufficient personnel to fulfil its statutory mandate in relation to investigative activities. The security policy environment has become significantly more challenging in recent years, and investigations are proving increasingly complex.
The SFAO considers the staffing levels for investigations at the Federal Criminal Police (FCP) to be insufficient. As a result, important proceedings are being delayed or not initiated at all. This compromises Switzerland’s domestic security. The SFAO recommends that fedpol, together with the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland (OAG), assess the specific additional need for investigators. The SFAO advocates a phased expansion of the FCP’s investigation divisions, provided that this expansion is in line with the priorities of the Federal Council’s future security policy strategy. It should also be achieved as far as possible using the savings and optimisation opportunities identified in the report.