Senior Police Director Peter Both has been Head of the Directorate for Emergency Response/Employment since August 31, 2021.

As the highest-ranking police officer, he is responsible for all uniformed police officers. This includes, for example, the officers of the guard and change service, the control center and the district service as well as the dog handlers.

Peter Both comes from Bochum, where he was most recently head of the riot police department.

"I like to be in the thick of things rather than just being there and want to know who I'm dealing with. This applies both within the authority and in operational situations," says the 50-year-old.

Here in Gelsenkirchen, Peter Both now coordinates the work in the Hazard Prevention/Operations Directorate and manages larger operations such as soccer matches or demonstrations himself. His tasks also include preparing the Gelsenkirchen police for the 2024 European Football Championships.

Peter Both is the successor to Heidi Fahrenholz, who now works as head of the police department at the Rhine district authority in Neuss.