Law enforcement in Germany is constitutionally in the hands of the states, which is one of the main features of the German political system.
Policing was always the responsibility of the German states even after 1872 when the country was united. The 1919 Constitution of the Weimar Republic does provide the possibility to create a national police force, if necessary, but only in the Nazi era that the state police forces are united under the control of the national police force and center (Reichssicherheitshauptamt or RSHA). Police became a central state tool and the Nazi party. After the defeat of 1945, Germany was divided; in 1949 the three western zones were transformed into the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany), the Soviet zone into the Democratic Republic of Germany (East Germany). Every country is pursuing different paths of law enforcement.
Given the massive misuse of power by a centralized Nazi state, the new West German constitution provides for strict separation of powers, placing strong law enforcement in the hands of states. The only policy allowed at the federal level is the border control (Bundesgrenzschutz, including the coast guard) controlled by the Ministry of Interior and initially organized along the paramilitary line, the Federal Criminal Police Station. Since 2005, the German border has been very open due to the European Union, and the Bundesgrenzschutz has been renamed the Bundespolizei (Federal Police), which is still limited to rail traffic, airports, ports, and some other special tasks.
East Germany created a centralized police force under the Interior Ministry, Volkspolizei paramiliter (literally "People's Police"). It also established a border police force (Grenztruppen der DDR), which was originally an independent force, then integrated into the army and then reorganized as an independent military organization.
Video Law enforcement in Germany
Federal agencies
German Federal Police
Founded in 1951, the Bundespolizei (BPOL) is a uniform federal police force. This is a subordinate of the Federal Ministry of the Interior ( Bundesministerium des Innern (BMI) ). The Bundespolizei was formerly known as Bundesgrenzschutz (BGS) ("Federal Border Guard") and had a more limited role until July 1, 2005 when the law renamed BGS as a BPOL was enacted. Prior to 1994 BGS members also had combat troop status because of their historical base and the role of border guards.
All personnel in charge of weapons on the side. Some units have light aircraft and helicopters to facilitate quick access to remote border areas and for patrol and rescue missions. The coast guard forms a part of the GFP. It is equipped with fourteen large patrol boats and several helicopters.
In addition to controlling the German border, the GFP serves as a federal reserve force to deal with major disruptions and other emergencies outside the scope of the Land Police. GFP maintains foreign airports and embassies, and some highly trained detachments are available for special crisis situations requiring demolition equipment, helicopters, or combat vehicles. After the deficiencies in police training and procedures revealed by terrorist attacks against Israeli athletes at the 1972 Olympics, a task force known as the Border Guard Group 9 (GSG-9) was formed to deal with terrorist incidents, especially hostage situations. The GSG-9 won world attention while rescuing eighty-six passengers on a hijacked Lufthansa plane in Mogadishu, Somalia, in 1977.
Military ranks similar to the Bundeswehr were replaced in the mid-1970s by civil servants. Service uniforms are green but now blue.
The West German Railway Police (Bahnpolizei ), formerly independent forces, and East Germany Transportpolizei were restructured under the BGS to form the Bundespolizei in 1990.
Bundeskriminalamt
Another central police station, the Federal Criminal Investigation Office (Bundeskriminalamt - BKA), with about 3,000 agents, operates nationally from headquarters in Wiesbaden. BKA is a clearinghouse for criminal intelligence records.
It provides assistance to the State Crimes Police Station (Landeskriminalamt - LKA) in forensic, criminal investigation, and investigation matters. It is also a national point of contact for the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol). The BKA enters the case only when requested by the Land authorities, or in cases involving two or more LÃÆ'¤nder. The BKA is involved in the eradication of various terrorist gangs, which have plagued the country since the 1960s.
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Two federal agencies involved in security issues are the Federal Intelligence Service (Bundesnachrichtendienst - BND) and the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (Bundesamt fÃÆ'¼r Verfassungsschutz - BfV). Based in Munich, BND is limited to investigations of threats originating from abroad. It relies heavily on wiretapping and other monitoring techniques applied to international communications. Such activities are only allowed to counter the danger of armed threats to the state, but intelligence authorities have pressed additional powers to oversee suspected international arms and drug traffickers.
BfV is primarily a domestic intelligence gathering service that deals with espionage, treason, and sedition. It has no arresting power and can not use force, but does supervise and supply BKAs and other police agencies with information on opposition parties, international crimes, drug trafficking, terrorism and other illegal activities. Main office in Cologne. Similar offices exist in each Land; although they cooperate closely with the federal office, they operate under the control of the Land authorities.
Maps Law enforcement in Germany
Country agency
The German states are responsible for managing most of the German police forces. Each country has its own police force known as Landespolizei (State Police). Each country enacts laws that define its police organization and duties ( Landespolizeigesetz or Sicherheits- und Ordnungsgesetz ).
Although the Land Police are governed by sixteen different legislatures and, in fact, different police forces, there has been an increasing trend towards standardizing national police activities. Concerns about terrorism and the growth of organized crime have strengthened the movement to centralize police procedures and operations. The idea of ​​making a police code for all of Germany ( allgemeines Polizeigesetz ) appeared in 1960 but was never missed.
These powers are organized by towns, towns, or rural communities, but they are all integral components of the Police force of the Land where they belong. The interior Land Minister oversees police operations in his jurisdiction. Although the internal organization is somewhat different, all the Soil Police are divided into Protective Police (Schutzpolizei - "Schupo"), uniformed services carrying out regular legal and routine duties, and Criminal Police (Kriminalpolizei - "Kripo"), conducting criminal investigations. Separate Administrative Police (Ordnungspolizei - "Orpo") previously had a duty which included resident registration and issuance of passports, identity cards, and licenses. These functions have been transferred to civil government departments (Einwohnermeldeamt - resident registration offices) in almost all LÃÆ'¤nder.
Despite similar vehicle uniforms and color schemes throughout Germany, the police force is composed slightly differently in each state. For example, Kriminalpolizei (detective branch, often abbreviated as Kripo ) is part of regular police in some states and separate organizations in other countries.
The idea of ​​using the same color for police uniforms and vehicles across the EU has resulted in German police forces slowly changing the mascot of vehicles from white/green to silver/blue. Silver color actually increases resale value and thus lowers rental cost (most countries rent their cars today). The blue color is part of the standardization.
Uniforms have also changed in most countries of the green/beige version that was introduced in 1979 to blue. Hamburg is the first country to make the transition. In most states, newly acquired vehicles and helicopters get new color schemes, except for Bavaria and Saarland, which will temporarily keep using old green/white-or-silver schemes for their vehicles and uniforms.
Local agency
Today, many German cities also have the power of local public order. Depending on the laws of each state, the name of the force performing these limited police functions may:
- Ordnungsamt
- Kommunaler Ordnungsdienst
- StÃÆ'¤dtischer Ordnungsdienst
- Stadtpolizei, which means City Police, in some cities in the State of Hesse.
The city's workers are mostly wearing uniforms, but some are plainclothes and are the eyes and ears of city administration on the street. Depending on the laws of each state, these local employees may be armed or unarmed. Most of them are tasked with monitoring the laws and municipal laws under municipal responsibility, which include monitoring shopkeepers' behavior, sanitary inspection, animal inspection and minor offenses and minor offenses such as illegal parking, littering, state and local dogs regulations etc. They usually only give warnings and fines and can only make arrests of citizens as other citizens can do. If they see any major crime they are required to call the state police. However, in some states, city police officers have the same rights, powers and duties as colleagues in the state police. This is especially true in the state of Baden-WÃÆ'¼rttemberg. The tasks of the city police forces depend on the size of the municipality and the number of residents in which it operates. The police authority (PolizeibehÃÆ'¶rde) from the city or city may transfer more duties and responsibilities to the police, only if approved by the local government (RegierungsprÃÆ'¤sidium).
Assisted Police Force
Many German states have additional police programs, but exist only in some countries: Baden-WÃÆ'¼rttemberg, Bavaria, Hesse, Saxony, and Brandenburg. Most members are armed with pepper spray. They have different denominations due to different state regulations, such as the Voluntary Police Service (Freiwilliger Polizeidienst), Security Partners (Sicherheitspartner) or Security Watch (Sicherheitswacht).
Their main task is the prevention of crime by:
- patrols run to prevent street crimes
- near school and kindergarten
- maintaining contact with potential victims of crime and teenage criminals.
Bavaria has instituted a citizen patrol system ( Sicherheitswacht ) where unarmed teams of two patrol volunteers are assigned to improve subjective security. These teams carry the radio for help if needed and pepper spray for protection. White bracelets with black letters identify them as environmental monitoring patrols.
Residents in Baden-WÃÆ'¼rttemberg can participate in a volunteer police program, where about 1,200 residents volunteer to assist their local police in 20 cities. These volunteers are specially trained, wear uniforms and worn and armed with ordinary police equipment. The government, however, seeks the removal of additional police and financial supplies, as well as additional new officer installs, is immediately stopped.
Residents in Hesse and Saxony may also participate in the Volunteers Police program, where some residents volunteer to assist local police. The volunteers trained for 50 hours (in the case of Saxony is 60), received uniforms, pepper spray and cell phones (in the case of Saxony is radio).
In Brandenburg there are established about 200 security partners along the Polish border as well as around Berlin. The legal basis is the decision of the Minister of Home Affairs of October 11, 1995.
People can also join - full time - Wachpolizei with less (and underpaid) authority than regular police to perform basic police tasks such as traffic or guard duty, releasing regular officers for work patrol.
Training
Police training is primarily the responsibility of Là © nder individually, although the federal government provides assistance and coordination. The high level of police professionalism is attributed to the level and length of training. The situation is different in the five new Länder of eastern Germany. Having long been accustomed to a dutiful society, police forces from the eastern states must adjust to the growing number of skinheads and neo-Nazis who are involved in violent racial crimes against foreign workers and refugees.
Most police personnel spent about two and a half years in regular police academy training (Mittlerer Polizeivollzugsdienst), additional police forces, equipped with lass rights and often not equipped with weapons-assignments, who were trained in just 12 weeks. In terms of higher education (Abitur), recruits can also start at higher rankings, in proportion to Lieutenant (Rank: Polizei-/Kriminalkommissar), for which they must attend a police lecture for and obtain a bachelor's degree.
After about six years of serving as a patrol officer, an individual with an exceptional record who conducts a highly competitive exam and starts in a regular police academy (mittlerer Polizeivollzugsdienst) can go on to two or three years in a higher police school or public administration college to eligible for this bachelor's degree (Aufstieg in den gehobenen Polizeivollzugsdienst). Very few candidates are eligible for the highest level of police study for one year at the Federal Police Academy at MÃÆ'¼nster-Hiltrup.
Off duty carry
German police were authorized to carry firearms issued by their department, and only firearms issued by their department, while not on duty. Germany is one of the few countries to allow this. Although permitted, some German police actually do their job. If the German police want to carry firearms other than those issued by their department, they are subject to the same restrictions as others. German police should have a safe to store their weapons when not carrying them, making sure they are not easily accessible to others.
Women in the Police
The Land Police have female members since the troops were re-established after World War II. Initially, female officers were assigned to cases involving teenagers and women, who worked in unarmed gunmen. Since the mid-1970s, female police have been carrying out the duties of public police patrols and the proportion of their police officers has continued to increase. However, their representation in leadership positions is still relatively low.
Police Warning
Police Alert (Bereitschaftspolizei - "Bepo", literally Police of Preparedness) is available in each Land to control the riots even though its primary function is to recruit police. Police Readiness received standard weapons, vehicles, and communications equipment from the federal government. An office at the Ministry of Home Affairs monitors and coordinates the deployment of Readiness Police units, who may be summoned to assist other LÃÆ'¤nder police in case of riots or other civil disturbances.
Alert Police are assigned to barracks where they are organized along military lines into teams, platoon, and 120 to 150 members of training or standby companies. In most LÃÆ'¤nder, the Emergency Police contingent consists of one 600 to 800 member battalions, but in the larger six LÃ © nder they are organized into regiments.
Tasks vary according to local requirements. In Hamburg, for example, Police Preparedness patrols the subway system, helps police raids in the red light district, and is present in large demonstrations and football matches. Their units are equipped with their own transportation, tents and rations, allowing them to be shifted quickly to other LÃÆ'¤nder without having to rely on outside support. Police Readiness has water cannons and armored vehicles but is armed with light weapons compared to BGS.
Career brackets
In general, the German law enforcement authorities currently have personnel of three available career brackets, the lowest being "Mittlerer Dienst" ("intermediate service"), followed by so-called "gehobener Dienst" ("high service") and "HÃÆ'Â ¶herer Dienst "(" higher service "). Only the Federal Customs Administration (Bundeszollverwaltung) and the Department of Justice and Corrections of the state (Justizvollzugsdienst - Law Enforcement Service) still have personnel from the lowest career bracket "Einfacher Dienst" ("simple service"). In order to understand this structure, it can help compare it with the military rank structure because a few decades ago it was very similar. Einfacher Dienst = Soldier, Dienst mittlerer = NCO, Dienst gehobener = CO, hÃÆ'¶herer Dienst = Staff Officer (Major and higher).
German police
Today nine of the sixteen State Police Forces recruit only for the "Gehobener Dienst" career bracket.
Admission to "Mittlerer Dienst" requires successful completion of 10 years of schooling, or successful training in other occupations and several years working in this work. The training period is 2 1/2 years in the police academy starting with the rank of Polizeimeister-AnwÃÆ'¤rter. The highest ranking in this group is Polizeihauptmeister mit Zulage. In the mid to late seventies, "Dienst mittlerer" was passed to the detective branch of Kriminalpolizei, but in some states of the former GDR, they still exist. Ranking, in this case, f.e. Kriminalhauptmeister.
Admission to "Gehobener Dienst" requires a high school diploma and training period is 3 years in administrative and justice colleges. The highest rank in this career is Erster Polizei-/Criminal-hauptkommissar.
The third career bracket is what is called "hÃÆ'¶herer Dienst". Direct entry into this career group is possible and requires a law degree from a university, but the majority of these officials have started their careers in "mittlerer" or "gehobener Dienst". The training period is 2 years at Deutsche Hochschule der Polizei or German Police University. It is the only formal, centralized institution of education of the German police. Starting from the rank of "Polizeirat" or "Criminal" (literally "police counselor" or "counselor detective") to "PolizeiprÃÆ'¤sident" ("police president"), which (in most German states) is equivalent to the rank of Chief Constable in the United States.
Judiciary
The German legal system is a civil law largely based on a complete summary of the law, as opposed to the general legal system. The Bundesverfassungsgericht (The Federal Constitutional Court, located in the city of Karlsruhe) is Germany's supreme court responsible for constitutional matters, with the power of judicial review. The German Supreme Court system, called the Oberste GerichtshÃÆ'¶fe des Bundes , is special: for civil and criminal cases, the highest court of appeals is an inquisitorial Federal Court. ("Bundesgerichtshof" in Karlsruhe) and for other matters of courts are the Federal Labor Court ("Bundesarbeitsgericht" in Erfurt), the Federal Social Court ("Bundessozialgericht" in Kassel), the Federal Financial Court ("Bundesfinanzhof" in Munich) and the Federal Administrative Court "Bundesverwaltungsgericht" in Leipzig). The VÃÆ'¶lkerstrafgesetzbuch (the Law of International Criminal Law) prescribes the consequences of crimes against humanity, genocide and war crimes, and provides universal jurisdiction of German courts under certain circumstances.
Criminal and private law is codified at the national level in Strafgesetzbuch (literally the Book of Criminal Law) and BÃÆ'¼rgerliches Gesetzbuch (literally Civil Law Book) respectively. The German penitentiary system is intended for criminal rehabilitation and protection of the general public. Except for petty crimes, prosecuted before a single professional judge, and serious political crimes, all charges are tried in a mixed court where a lay judge (SchÃÆ'¶ffen or assessor) sits side by side with a professional judge.
Tools
Transportation
German police usually use cars from German manufacturers. Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, Audi, Opel and BMW are generally used as patrol cars ( Streifenwagen ). Countries are used to select vehicles built in or close to their respective states. However, with most countries now renting instead of buying their vehicles and given the EU rules on contract deals, the state has less freedom in choosing which manufacturers will provide their patrol cars than they do.
In nearby Saarland and historically closely related to France, vehicles from French companies as well as Ford Europe were used as police cars. Bavarian state police primarily use BMW and Audi vehicles, as both companies are based in Bavaria (BMW in Munich and Audi in Ingolstadt). In the eastern state of Germany, most of Volkswagen is in use (Volkswagen is based in Wolfsburg, close to the eastern state). Hessian police prefer Opel cars (General Motors-brand Opel based in RÃÆ'¼sselsheim near Frankfurt am Main in Hesse). Baden-WÃÆ'¼rttemberg mostly uses Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen cars for their police force.
Before police reform in the mid-1970s, Germany had many city police forces and each had its own police car livery. Dark blue, dark green and white are a popular color. However, dark color is considered a loss because many accidents happen at night while chasing high speed.
Therefore, the ministerial conference in deciding on the standardization of police car searches so that cars appear not threatening and can be easily seen at night. And so bright green and white is the color associated with police vehicles in Germany beginning of the 1970s. Recently, police forces turned into silver cars and vans instead of white ones because they were easier to sell than whites when their police service was completed. Now, most states have light blue, not green stripes, but cars painted with old shades can still be seen (as of November 2012). Only the states of Bavaria and Saarland choose to keep the wild green-white/silver; all other states transition to blue-white/silver.
These days, German police forces generally hire a patrol car from the manufacturer, usually for a period of three years. The leasing company marks the patrol car using plastic foil by reflecting strips as borders instead of painting them. The foil is removed when the car is sold to the public as the standard silver used car when the lease runs out.
Unlike in other countries such as the United States, police cars in Germany rarely come with special equipment (apart from the obvious, such as flashing lights or sirens) are not available to other users of the same model, since the cars sold in the European market generally considered suitable for police duty without further alteration.
Type of vehicle
It is used by the Law Enforcement Agency in Germany
Uniform
From 1945 all German police forces wore different colored uniforms but since the mid-seventies, policemen from all West German LÃÆ'¤nder and West Berlin wearing the same green and cream uniforms, mostly designed by Heinz Oestergaard at the earliest the seventies. The standard uniforms consist of tunics, jackets, pullovers without shroud, coats, visor caps and ties in green moss, trousers, pullovers and cardigans with brown-beige, shirts (long and short sleeves) in yellow-bamboo. Shoes, boots, sarongs, leather jackets, and other black leather gear.
The leather gloves are faded. Exception: Visor cap with white top is worn by Verkehrspolizei, by Schutzpolizei during traffic rules. White gloves, tunics, and coats are worn during traffic arrangements and by Verkehrspolizei during ceremonial duties (such as white sheets and leather gear). In some LÃÆ'¤nder all officers wear protective caps with white tops in general.
Wasserschutzpolizei wearing a standard uniform with a slightly different design. Instead of any green (and still) dark moss, the shirt is white and the visor cap has a white top. BGS wore a green uniform of all the woods with a yellow bamboo shirt. After the German Reunification, Volkspolizei was broken into Landespolizei and switched to standard uniform. During the transition period, they still wore their old uniforms but with western-style arms and hats.
Since most European countries have blue police uniforms, most of the German state, as well as federal police, introduce new dark blue uniforms designed to fit the blue image of police in Europe. Police forces in Bavaria are still using the old Oestergaard design, however, starting in 2016, old uniforms have to be replaced with new blue uniforms. All other countries have started or completed the shift from green to dark blue.
In line with uniforms, police vehicles and various equipment also change color from green to blue.
Police officers dressed in uniforms from federal and state police were allowed to board the Deutsche Bahn train for free. This only applies to officers in the second class regardless of whether it is a work-related or private trip.
See also
- List of law enforcement agencies in Germany
- Zollkriminalamt (German Customs Inspection Bureau)
- Staatsanwaltschaft (prosecutor's office)
- Crime in Germany
- Prison in Germany
- List of killings by law enforcement officers in Germany
References
This article incorporates public domain material from the Library of Congress Country Studies website http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/.
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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