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Magdeburg (dpa / sa) - The SPD interior expert Rüdiger Erben demands that police officers in Saxony-Anhalt can retire later.
Until the end of 2020 it was possible for civil servants to postpone their retirement for up to three years, heirs of the German Press Agency said.
For this year all requests for a voluntary extension have been rejected.
That was incomprehensible, said Erben.
Saxony-Anhalt has successfully introduced the option of additional years of service in order to cushion the shortage of personnel in the state police.
In the coalition agreement between the CDU, SPD and the Greens it was agreed to maintain this practice.
The Ministry of the Interior confirmed that the option no longer exists.
The house of Minister Michael Richter (CDU) justified the step by stating that the increase in staff would take effect and jobs had to be kept free for the young professionals.
According to the ministry, 61 men and women were still in the police force last year, even though they had reached their retirement age.
There are currently around 6030 police officers on duty, the coalition's goal is 6400.
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