Directorate General for Public Security

Directorate General was restored following the end of Nazi rule, but did not gain back control of most police forces until Ensuing the Ibiza affair in 2019, Interior Minister Herbert Kickl moved to appoint Peter Goldgruber, with whom he had close ties, Director General on 20 May.

The affair marked the likely collapse of the Cabinet and as the Director General is a career civil servant position that transcends political leadership changes, appointing Goldgruber would have allowed Kickl and his party to retain control over law enforcement while no longer being in power themselves.

It is responsible for hostage situations, highly dangerous criminal apprehensions, organized crime, counterterrorism, the protection of high-profile politicians, and providing air marshals for commercial flights.

[5] The decision to create the DSN came after the BVT, the predecessor intelligence agency, failed to prevent the 2020 Vienna attack, despite numerous warnings and surveillance information.

[6] The current director of the DSN is Omar Haijawi-Pirchner, an Austrian police officer of Jordanian descent.

It also assists fire fighters when needed and carries out search and rescue missions for the Civil Aviation Authority.