Officers Accused of Right-wing Extremism: A Growing Concern Across German Police Forces
Approximately 200 Law Enforcement Personnel Under Investigation for Possible Extremist Activities - Over two hundred law enforcement officials are under suspicion for allegedly embracing extremist ideologies.
Let's get real, folks. A whopping 193 cops from all across Germany are under the microscope right now, suspected of harboring radical right-wing ideologies and subscribing to nutty conspiracy theories. stern and RTL dripped some tea on this juicy situation after hitting up every single one of Germany's 16 federal states' interior ministries.
The actual number could be much higher, with North Rhine-Westphalia, Berlin, and Mecklenburg-West Pomerania tripping over their own shoelaces when it comes to providing clear, up-to-date numbers. North Rhine-Westphalia and Berlin alone are keeping a close eye on around 80 cases, but they ain't always sticking these cases with nice, neat political labels like "right" or "left".
Since 2020, more than 571 disciplinary proceedings or investigations against state police officers have been swirling around the drain due to suspected right-wing extremist ideology and/or crazy conspiracy theories. It's important to note that many of these states aren't even keeping useful stats on this, including North Rhine-Westphalia, Berlin, Thuringia, and Mecklenburg-West Pomerania.
Bavaria's Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann didn't mince words, telling stern and RTL, "Every case is one too many. Civil servants must commit to the free democratic basic order, swearing allegiance to the constitution. These clowns need to help preserve democracy, not aid its demise."
North Rhine-Westphalia's Interior Minister Herbert Reul chimed in, expressing his disdain: "Extremist nonsense has no room here. If you can't get your head around that, you're outta here!" However, the state has stopped categorizing its cases by political direction, unlike last year. Mecklenburg-West Pomerania decided it would only spit out current figures by the fourth quarter of this year.
In case you're wondering, we're talking about right-wing extremism, that pesky ideology luring idiots away from common sense and reason. This isn't a new issue for police forces. In fact, incidents of cops sharing SS rune imagery, blasting Nazi-era songs, and performing Hitler salutes demonstrate a concerning normalization of far-right symbolism within the ranks.
Investigations are limited by legal loopholes, with extremist behavior often categorized as private expression. For example, distributing banned material like the Horst Wessel song typically lands officers in hot water for nothing more than a slap on the wrist. The public and parliamentary demands for transparency have ratcheted up since 2015, following a string of high-profile cases exposing entrenched extremist groups within the security institutions.
The missing link? Nationwide statistical tracking of right-wing extremism within police forces. Germany is relying on self-reporting from state authorities, which leaves plenty of room for error (or deliberate evasion). Recent incidents, like the deadly police shooting of Lorenz A. in 2025, have escalated the scrutiny of institutional biases.
So there you have it, folks. Police forces across Germany are grappling with a growing problem of extremist cops. From Bavaria to Berlin, reforms and transparency are needed to flush out the rot within the ranks and preserve the very democracy that these officers are sworn to protect.
- The growing concern of extremist police officers across German police forces is a concerning normalization of far-right symbolism within the ranks, as demonstrated by incidents of cops sharing SS rune imagery, blasting Nazi-era songs, and performing Hitler salutes.
- Statistics reveal that since 2020, more than 571 disciplinary proceedings or investigations against state police officers have been initiated due to suspected right-wing extremist ideology and/or conspiracy theories.
- Officers from all 16 federal states are under investigation, with North Rhine-Westphalia, Berlin, and Mecklenburg-West Pomerania tripping over their own shoelaces when it comes to providing clear, up-to-date numbers.
- As it stands, Germany is relying on self-reporting from state authorities for nationwide statistical tracking of right-wing extremism within police forces, leaving room for error (or deliberate evasion).
