Column: The Word on the Street - Not All Badges Wear Black Hats
- by Stephan Anpalagan
- Reading Time: Approx. 4 Min
Admit the truth: Law enforcement faces numerous challenges as well. - Struggles Persist for Law Enforcement Agencies
A flurry of headlines have graced German screens lately, painting starkly different pictures. Let's dive into three recent stories that have sparked controversy and debate.
On May 21, 2025, Jaspinder Singh, a visibly distinct police commissioner in Bremen, made his oath. With a turban instead of a police cap, Singh is part of about 200 new recruits, fitting nicely amidst the ranks of young, beaming police officers. However, it takes Radio Bremen two days to publish a report titled, "Armed Peacekeeper with Turban sparks cultural debate in Bremen."
Simultaneously on May 21, 2025, two police officers in Osnabrück found themselves under investigation for sharing far-right content. Allegations include one officer taking disgraceful photos of immigrants and the other flaunting the Hitler salute and distributing photographs of it. NDR chronicles this developments in the subtle poetry of public broadcasting with, "What Price Justice? Probe into Alleged Far-Right Police Officers."
On May 23, 2025, news broke of Jette Nietzard, federal chairwoman of the Green Youth, donning a turquoise sweater emblazoned with the letters "ACAB." The first letter standing for the popular slogan "All Cops Are Bastards." The following day, "Bild" publishes a report entitled, "The Green Party's Chairwoman Victoria Secret: Nietzard's Stunt Provokes Firestorm."
What Topics are reheated?
If we were to ask you, dear reader, which of these three headlines has piqued your interest so far, chances are you'd recall Nietzard's sweater. This topic has garnered attention from various quarters, including police officers, police unions, the executive board of the Greens, the parliamentary manager of the Greens, the Minister President of Baden-Württemberg, the Interior Minister of Bavaria, the Federal Minister for Aerospace, the chairman of the Parliamentary Control Panel for the control of the Federal Intelligence Services, and the chairman of the German-Israeli Society.
Diving into the work of "Welt," I managed to find only one article about the Hitler salute of the police recruit. It is an agency report from DPA.
A Question of Balance
When scrutinizing the colleagues from NDR, however, we find the director of the police academy, the responsible public prosecutor, and a former police officer and police trainer sharing their insights on the alleged far-right police officers and the status of the Lower Saxony police force. We learn intricate details about the investigative processes and the current state of the police.
So, What's the Deal as a Society?
Nietzard's sweater is, frankly, moronic and mortifying. The commotion about it seems somewhat justified. I can't help but be reminded of the uproar over the youths who chanted "Foreigners out!" and gave the Hitler salute on Sylt a few years back. Those who criticized the Sylt video shouldn't downplay Nietzard's sweater, and vice versa. Those who gleefully chastise Nietzard for her sweater today should be reminded of the individuals who defended the Sylt racists in the past.
The issue is not solely about the letter "A" in "ACAB." The "C" stands for "Cops," including those who work for the police force, train police officers, or are part of police organizations. To lump all these individuals together and hold them responsible for the police's flaws is as intellectually shallow as labeling all East Germans far-right, all men misogynistic, and all whites racist.
Lumping the Police Together is Just Silly
If we were to follow the slogan "ACAB," wouldn't Jaspinder Singh, a man of striking migrant roots and Sikh faith, also fall under the "bastard" category? A man who, in his brief interview with Radio Bremen, expressed his enthusiasm for the police profession? A man who, in spite of all adversity, puts on a police uniform and prepares to serve this nation and its people?
It's preposterous that those who point to the police force as a reflection of society when a far-right chat group surfaces, are the first to cringe at the sight of women, gays, Muslims, Jews, or Sikhs joining the police. Those who take issue with a turban-wearing police officer more than they do with a police officer repeatedly shouting "Heil Hitler" over the radio during patrol duties are part of the problem plaguing the German police force. Those who are more outraged by Nietzard's sweater than they are about right-wing officers in uniform display a skewed moral compass.
The police must first earn the trust and respect of the citizens. The foundation of democratic rights is protection against the state. The phrase "isolated incident" does not have a plural. A liberal democracy is defined by the fact that even harsh criticism of state power is permissible. However, anyone who is unable to intelligently justify such criticism by attacking all police officers in the country has disqualified themselves. Anyone who chooses to launch attacks on Nietzard's sweater rather than right-wing police officers in uniform has demonstrated their reprehensible priorities.
- The social-media debate surrounding Jette Nietzard, the Green Party's chairwoman, wearing a sweater with the slogan "ACAB" has extended beyond politics, with involvement from the police, police unions, various government officials, and even the German-Israeli Society, demonstrating its wide-ranging impact on public opinion.
- In addition to the controversy surrounding Nietzard's sweater, the far-right activities of two police officers in Osnabrück have also been under investigation, with allegations of sharing offensive content and displaying Nazi symbols, challenging the public's perception of the police force and justice system in Germany.
- Meanwhile, the recruitment of Jaspinder Singh, a visibly distinct police commissioner in Bremen, has spurred a broader cultural discussion. His decision to wear a turban instead of the traditional police cap adds a unique perspective to the crime-and-justice narrative, highlighting the diversity within the police force and the changing face of law enforcement in general-news.
