Vienna Officer Fined After Drunken Incident at Police Station
Vienna — A longtime police officer in Austria has been fined €5,000 after being discovered naked, intoxicated, and reeking of excrement in the stairwell of his own police station following an internal celebration, reported by “der Standard”. Austria’s Federal Administrative Court (BVwG) upheld the disciplinary authority’s ruling, describing the episode as a “drunken excess” that damaged public trust in the police force.
The officer, a deputy unit leader with 30 years of service, was found shortly after 11:30 p.m. by colleagues in a state described as “completely incapacitated.” He was wearing nothing but socks and had defecated in a colleague’s office, leaving behind his soiled underwear.
According to court records, the officer had intended to sleep in his office but became so intoxicated he couldn’t reach the restroom in time. After relieving himself, he accidentally locked himself out in the stairwell, where he passed out.
During the disciplinary hearing, the officer claimed he drank only three or four glasses of white wine mixed with pain medication. The court doubted this account, suggesting he consumed more than admitted and may have started drinking while still on duty.
His record worsened his case: he had previously lost his driver’s license twice for drunk driving—once with 2.28‰ blood alcohol content, another time while driving to work with 1.4‰.
Although his supervisor praised his social skills and professional knowledge, the court emphasized the need for “general prevention,” reinforcing that such behavior cannot be tolerated within law enforcement. At the time of the ruling in June, the officer was suspended and facing possible early retirement.
