A Crisis at the Borders: German Police Union Pleas for Advanced Tech in Border Security
Enhanced border technology: Police union insists on improved technical resources - Enhanced Technology for Border Control Suggested by Police Union
The German Police Union is sounding the alarm, demanding a boost in cutting-edge technology to aid border patrol. Be it drones, mobile checkpoints with advanced license plate readers, exterior vehicle scanners, or surveillance systems for unguarded borders – they're all part of the wishlist.
Union leader, Rosskopf, explains, "We've been shouldering a mountain of overtime, and if things don't change soon, we'll face severe gaps in coverage, particularly at train stations and airports."
Personnel-heavy checks aren't sustainable over the long haul, warns Rosskopf. "Toiling this hard at the borders indefinitely isn't feasible for our forces." New technology could significantly lighten the load for officers, particularly in keeping watch over undocumented land borders.
While the Federal Police has been tinkering with such technology since 2018, they've yet to acquire it. "It's a crime! Such technology could effectively surveil vast, impenetrable tracts of land," Rosskopf laments. Countries across Europe, from the Netherlands to Romania, are way ahead in this race.
Rosskopf supports measures that manage and minimize illegal migration but voiced concerns over the sustainability of such efforts. "How long can we keep this up?" he ponders.
The increased border control might cause headaches for vacationers, as motorists may face lengthy traffic jams. To minimize disruption to daily commutes and goods traffic, priority must be given to their flow. While more border points will be patrolled, delays are inevitable.
In response to the refugee influx, the new Interior Minister, Alexander Dobrindt, has suggested tighter border controls to cut down on asylum-seekers[1][3]. The rolls of the Federal Police are set to swell, and some asylum-seekers will be turned away. The European Union is also planning to reform Frontex, the border agency, to bolster cooperation among member states and modernize border security in 2026[5].
- The German Police Union, led by Rosskopf, is advocating for the implementation of advanced tech in border security, such as drones, mobile checkpoints, vehicle scanners, and surveillance systems, as they believe it will alleviate the current strain on officers and ensure sustainable border control.
- Rosskopf emphasizes that the current personnel-heavy checks are not sustainable for the long term and could result in severe gaps in coverage, particularly at train stations and airports.
- He laments the fact that while the Federal Police has been exploring the use of such technology since 2018, they have yet to acquire it, and countries across Europe, like the Netherlands and Romania, are already ahead in this race.
- As the rolls of the Federal Police are set to swell due to stricter border controls and the European Union's plan to modernize border security in 2026, Rosskopf supports measures that manage and minimalize illegal migration but expresses concerns about the sustainability of such efforts and potential impacts on general-news, particularly vacationers and commuter traffic.
