"Federal Police Ombudsman Uli Grotch Outlines Improvement Needs in Federal Police Forces"
Law Enforcement Agencies Acknowledged Errors
Uncovering some stark statistical figures, Federal Police Ombudsman Uli Grotch reveals a prevalent issue: 42% of police officers exhibit negative views towards asylum seekers. "A significant structural flaw," notes Grotch, highlighting the need for police forces to upgrade their culture of acknowledging and correcting errors, along with addressing deep-seated issues of sexism, racism, and bullying.
Grotch, an SPD politician now in his fifth year as Federal Police Ombudsman, finds his work far from over. He identifies numerous structural gaps within the federal police forces, including the Federal Police, the Federal Criminal Police Office, and the police at the German Bundestag.
Panorama: Since border controls were tightened, accusations of "racial profiling" have escalated significantly. To counteract issues like sexism, racism, and bullying within the police, Grotch stresses the importance of sensitizing officers towards these issues. The shocking statistic of 42% negative views towards asylum seekers underscores the need for change.
Grotch acknowledges numerous opportunities to criticize police behavior yet has not encountered instances of "unlawful police violence." He emphasizes the need for police to develop the courage to admit their mistakes and not simply hide them. There's "definitely" room for improvement in this area.
To rectify the issues, Grotch advocates for additional training, education, and personnel for the Federal Police. Strict budget cuts for security authorities should be avoided. "The future government must invest in them," he urges.
Grotch frequently hears about an alarming lack of respect from the police force. "Every day, at train stations across the country, officers face verbal abuse and physical attacks," he discloses, expressing his discomfort.
Drawing from broader strategies to combat such issues, Grotch suggests education and awareness programs to foster empathy towards asylum seekers. Encouraging community outreach can help build positive relationships between police forces and asylum seeker communities. Advocating for policy changes ensuring fair treatment can help shift public perception.
In addressing errors, Grotch proposes transparent reporting without fear of retribution. Continuous training helps reduce common errors, and accountability mechanisms ensure learning from mistakes. To counteract sexism, racism, and bullying, diversity and inclusion training, zero-tolerance policies, and support systems are indispensable.
Source: ntv.de, toh/AFP
- Police
- SPD
- Federal Police Ombudsman Uli Grotch, an SPD politician, stresses the urgent need for police forces to address shortcomings such as negative views towards asylum seekers, sexism, racism, and bullying, which have been revealed in statistics showing 42% of police officers exhibiting such attitudes.
- To combat the widespread issues within the police, Grotch suggests implementing education and awareness programs, fostering empathy towards asylum seekers, promoting community outreach, advocating for policy changes, and instituting diversity and inclusion training, zero-tolerance policies, and support systems.
- Grotch also emphasizes the importance of police officers developing the courage to admit their mistakes, as there is definitely room for improvement in this area, and calls on the future government to invest in additional training, education, and personnel for the Federal Police to rectify the issues and avoid strict budget cuts for security authorities.
