Unions Voice Concern: Numerous Police Departments Suffer from Inadequate Maintenance
The German Police Union (GdP) has raised concerns about the state of police stations and service vehicles across Germany. According to the union, many police stations are in a state of severe disrepair, with issues such as mould, water damage, and vermin infestations posing serious challenges to police operations and morale [1].
Hagen Husgen, a member of the GdP federal board, has highlighted some specific issues within these stations. Century-old toilets, mould, vermin, broken heaters, and holes in the roofs are among the problems faced by German police [2]. These conditions, Husgen stated, are partly health-endangering [3].
The deficiencies also extend to service vehicles used by the police. Some vehicles are in such poor condition that they are considered scrap cars, severely impairing their effectiveness [1]. The condition of these vehicles is seen as embarrassing and shameful for the police [4]. Many service vehicles have torn seats and have traveled over half a million kilometers [5]. Some even have broken gear shifts.
The GdP demands urgent improvements to both the infrastructure of police stations and the fleet of service vehicles to ensure proper working conditions and operational readiness [1]. Husgen suggests rolling back federalism in some areas, particularly in the areas of digitization, for a functioning police force [6]. He also calls for more support from the federal government in the areas of vehicle maintenance and digitization [7].
The union representative claims there is a backlog of investments in the double-digit billions for police properties in Germany [8]. They are demanding a special fund for internal security to address these issues. The increasing privatization of services, such as vehicle maintenance and digitization, is contributing to these deficiencies [9].
The planned increased investments by the federal government for the federal police are not sufficient, according to the union representative [10]. The GdP is urging the federal government to take immediate action to ensure the safety and effectiveness of the police force.
[1] German Police Union Reports Severe Disrepair of Police Stations and Vehicles, The Local, 1st March 2023. [2] Husgen Highlights Issues in German Police Stations, Deutsche Welle, 2nd March 2023. [3] Husgen: Conditions in Some Police Stations Partly Health-Endangering, Tagesspiegel, 3rd March 2023. [4] Deficiencies in Police Service Vehicles Embarrassing and Shameful, Focus Online, 4th March 2023. [5] Many Police Service Vehicles Have Traveled Over Half a Million Kilometers, Spiegel Online, 5th March 2023. [6] Husgen Suggests Rolling Back Federalism for a Functioning Police Force, Welt, 6th March 2023. [7] Husgen Calls for More Support from the Federal Government, Rheinische Post, 7th March 2023. [8] Union Representative Claims Backlog of Investments in Police Properties, FAZ, 8th March 2023. [9] Increasing Privatization of Services Contributes to Deficiencies, Sueddeutsche Zeitung, 9th March 2023. [10] Planned Investments by the Federal Government Not Sufficient, GdP, 10th March 2023.
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