From Surveyor to Servant: The Democratisation of the Police (With Reference to the Brandenburg Police, Germany)

Chapter 2 - A New Police Force for Brandenburg and the Town of Potsdam

On the 20th March 1991, the Landtag of the Land Brandenburg in Potsdam passed at second reading a law concerning the organization and competence of the Brandenburg police, the Polizeiorganisationsgesetz. The vote in favour of the law was unanimous and set the foundations for a new police force. In a public hearing two days later, personnel and professional representatives gave their opinions on the new structure. Following the ratification of the Polizeiorganisationsgesetz and the resulting discussion, it was decided to examine carefully the newly-created structures and to further develop these.

The main objectives of the law were to rid the police of old centralized and bureaucratic structures and to promote a cooperative leadership and a pro-citizen stance within the police. However, a complete rejection of all the previous structures and a total restart was not desired. Structures which had democratic qualities and good ties with the public were to remain in place. The new organization was designed to improve efficiency and facilitate decision-making in the police and to make any necessary 'restructuring' possible, should weaknesses occur in the system.

In practice, the changes from the old to the new system caused and are still causing many difficulties, both for the individual police officer and for the organization as a whole. The other new Länder followed Brandenburg's example and ratified their own police laws. This has not however prevented a constant stream of criticism from various sources. The press has been eager to speculate on such things as "In Ost und West, bei Linken und Rechten ist das Vertrauen in die Polizei gesunken... Sind die Ordnungshüter unfähig, sich und die Bürger zu schützen?" Security is becoming more and more of a private industry nowadays, with the state seemingly losing control and private security firms offering the best form of protection in the eyes of many: whoever has money has security. The police, in turn, has been asking for understanding from society in this turbulent time. At the Konferenz für Innere Sicherheit in Berlin, on 11th June 1992, State Secretary Dr. Werner Ruckriegel gave his impression on the changes and problems as follows:

Die Bevölkerung in den neuen Bundesländern fühlt sich bedroht. Das subjektive Sicherheitsgefühl ist erheblich beeinträchtigt. Die Menschen werden von der Angst beherrscht, seit der Wiedervereinigung einer Welle von Gewalt und Kriminalität ausgesetzt zu sein. Polizei und Justiz scheinen machtlos... Diese Befindlichkeit bei uns entspricht nicht der tatsächlichen Sicherheitslage.

Whatever Dr. Ruckriegel or the press claim, the fact is that there have been and still are many problems to be dealt with.

Police affairs in Brandenburg are dealt with by Department Four of the MdI. Police institutions and authorities are the responsibilities of this department. The LKA (Landeskriminalamt) serves as a central office for the Bundeskriminalamt. Its role is to collect information and assess criminal acts. It also supports institutions in forensic and identification examinations. In matters concerning several regions or issues of great importance, the LKA may serve as the chief body of investigation. The BePo (Bereitschaftspolizei), a standby and riot organization of the police supports the everyday work of the normal police and can be called to assist police forces in other Länder. There are five squadrons of the BePo: two are based in Potsdam: Cottbus, Frankfurt/Oder and Oranienburg each have one squadron^*. The training of future police officers and workers is the responsibility of the Landespolizei schule (LPS), in Basdorf. Students learn about their role in society, based on the GG. They study the necessary specialist subjects for their individual lines of work and receive practical training. In creating a police 'school', the Landtag and Landesregierung wanted to emphasize the civil future of the police, as opposed to its para-military past. Finally, the last of the institutions, the ZTB (Zentraldienst für Technik und Beschaffung), based in Potsdam, oversees the supply and maintenance of police communication equipment, vehicles and weapons.

Turning to a lower level in the police structure hierarchy, the five police headquarters in Cottbus, Eberswalde-Finow, Frankfurt/Oder, Oranienburg and Potsdam carry the main burden of police work. In addition to these, there also exists a waterways patrol headquarters in Potsdam, which operates independently from the five headquarters*. Each headquarters, under the leadership of a president, is divided in turn into two departments: administration (Verwaltung, or simply 'V') and operation (Einsatz, or 'E'). A Bürgerrat exists at each headquarters to serve as a kind of 'link' between the police and the public. The special units of the operation department in Potsdam (the SEK, MEK, VG, and PS units) each fulfil specialist tasks. Finally, the police stations and watches have the closest contact with the public.

Having decided on the organizational structures of the Brandenburg police, the task of implementing these structures was begun. Dr. Detlef von Schwerin, President of the Potsdam Police, stressed the importance of self-responsibility and self-confident work from colleagues, but more importantly emphasized the necessity of a closer relationship with the public.

Wir brauchen in der Polizei neue Ausrüstungen, neue Technik. Wir brauchen vor allem aber wirkliche Bürgernähe. Und die, so denke ich. hat nicht zuletzt auch etwas mit uns selbst zu tun, mit unserem Nachdenken über den Bürger neben uns...

Ulrich Dugas, Police Inspector in Brandenburg, made it clear that such a fundamental reorganization of the police was impossible in a matter of a few weeks or even months, whilst the presidents of the individual headquarters also stressed the importance of a closer relationship between the police and the public.

During the researching of this project, political criticism of the new police in Brandenburg was not forthcoming from the main parties, who seem for the main part to approve of the whole process of change. Criticism comes primarily from the PDS-LL, who claim that there were and still are problems which result from trying to import the police system of Nordrhein-Westfalen into Brandenburg, since Nordrhein-Westfalen and Brandenburg face very diverse social differences and problems. The PDS-LL also criticize the social standing of police officers and the lack of police presence in public, although they are supportive of the concept of creating a police force closer to the public. They are disappointed that the idea of the Freiwillige Helfer of the ABVs in the Volkspolizei was not incorporated in the new system in any other form. Again, this idea receives some police support in principle, as crime-fighting is a task for all society. The idea was not however continued, because it was felt that properly trained police are required for police work. The Neues Forum/Argus faction in Potsdam places more importance on political leadership and the legal framework of police activity rather than on the actual structures. The faction is content that the police is very tightly bound by law and at the service of the public, even if this makes the police's role difficult.

The first new police officers in Brandenburg were sworn in on the 16th January 1992 in Basdorf. Two hundred new officers took the oath. This may have been a symbolic start for the police, but a shortage of police is, as already mentioned, a problem common to many Länder and particularly to Brandenburg.

The police in Brandenburg brought its numbers down from 20,000 VoPos to 9,200 police workers between November 1990 and November 1992. Numbers are especially low in the Bereitschaftspolizei, where in November 1992, only four hundred of an anticipated eight hundred positions were occupied. The specialist units of the Brandenburg police (SEK, MEK, VG and PS) are likewise in urgent need of recruits. Adverts encouraging officers to apply for various positions in the force are commonplace in police magazines.

The lack of personnel as well as the lack of equipment has caused some serious problems in Brandenburg. In the smallest district, Forst, only two patrol vehicles are available per shift. This means that four policemen are responsible for 37,000 residents, 20,000 registered vehicles and fifteen kilometres of border with Poland. Direct communication between patrol cars is impossible and sometimes messages from the Dresden police get crossed onto the police wavelength in Forst. There have even been cases of right-wing extremists playing music on the police wavelength. A policeman there complains that the officers have to act as firemen, social workers and girl Fridays for all situations. This may seem rather an extreme case, but it exists nevertheless.

For many, a wider cooperation on security is required on a European level, both in eastern and western Europe, in order to prevent the spread of crime. After the relaxation of borders within the European Community in January 1993, the Bundesgrenzschutz (BGS) has found itself in the strange position of looking likely to take on a new role. Former Innenminister Schäuble wanted certain police tasks in the Länder transferred to the BGS, but the Bundesrat did not give its blessing.

The problems for new officers in the new Länder seem to be numerous. The sheer change in mentality itself from the old to the new system, as well as social problems, such as low pay and high living costs for the officers, all contribute to a great number of problems. Many police posts stay empty as a result. A job in the force seems to have lost its old appeal for many, when high rent costs in some areas swallow a large part of the salary. More and more policemen and women are leaving the force. Hermann Lutz, Chairman of the GdP claims that "die innere Sicherheit in den neuen Ländern ist von Tag zu Tag weniger zu gewährleisten." Demonstrations show a growing discontent amongst the officers.

For former VoPos, things can seem even worse. A great deal is expected of them in the new police: not only a quick change of uniform and concept of duty, but also a change in their outlook on the world. An ex-VoPo in a magazine said that sometimes it is as though he feels the need to protect things as they were in the GDR, even though he does not want to. Another said that the West may have won the Cold War, but saw no reason for him to feel guilty about his past: he had had no choice: he had been born, had grown up and had gone to school in the GDR. He had not been aware of being 'on the wrong side'. For some former VoPos, the idea of the old authorities still lingers in their heads. They expect to follow orders rather than to act on their own initiative. In addition to all this, they earn less than their colleagues in the west, have to undergo training and spend a great deal of their own time studying the new laws at the same time as working, are unsure of being given a job at the end of all this and in many cases have to put up with a lot of condescension from officers from western Germany.

Perhaps the biggest problem in the view of many officers is the low salaries they receive. Many ask themselves whether they should endanger their lives for such a small salary. From the 1st July 1991, police in the new Länder received at least sixty percent the wages of their western colleagues, but this does not seem to have changed conditions much. A spokesman of the police in Sachsen expressed his point of view as follows.

Für durchschnittlich 1,000 bis 1,100 Mark riskieren die Leute mehr als nur ihre Gesundheit. Ich staune, mit welchem Einsatz unsere Leute trotzdem immer wieder ihren Dienst antreten... So kann es nicht weitergehen.

It is not uncommon for officers to take on a second job to give their low pay packets a boost. 'Moonlighting' is becoming popular among German police, even on a national scale: whether officially approved or not. Many of these secondary jobs are very menial tasks, such as cleaning machines or reading heating meters. Such jobs are usually permitted, so long as they do not have adverse effects on an officer's duties. Some are even approved by police authorities, if they improve the public image of the police.

To aid the Land of Brandenburg in its time of great upheaval, a partnership of authorities between Brandenburg and Nordrhein-Westfalen was created at the end of 1991. In January 1992, the exchange programme began. Brandenburg has since received extensive support in education and further education for its police officers from NRW. An exchange of personnel has taken and is still taking place, as well as concrete support in the form of modern, reliable equipment. At the beginning of 1992, one hundred police cars from NRW were being used on the streets of Brandenburg. Those officers coming from NRW to Brandenburg have often received quite a shock. They have experienced difficulties wearing the old VoPo uniforms, which make them symbols of the old hated system and still feel some 'military structures'. However, all those taking part in the exchange and hospitality programme between the two Länder have given it their approval. The exchange has been a success for both Länder, with NRW learning things from Brandenburg as well as vice-versa.

Dr. Andreas Bernig sees the biggest success of the Brandenburg police so far in the fact that "Es ist gelungen, trotz der Unsicherheit zur Wendezeit, einen Kollaps der inneren Sicherheit zu vermeiden." and the biggest failure in his eyes is that "Wir haben viele erfahrene Polizisten (die über fünfzig Jahre alt) in den Ruhestand geschickt, die wir heute sicherlich noch gebraucht hätten." Indeed, it is difficult to understand why many of these older officers were pensioned off at a time when they were probably needed most of all.

Finding success stories about the Brandenburg police from the press is no easy task. It is unfortunately the bad news about rising crime rates and murders which usually make the headlines and very seldom the stories of success, such as brave acts carried out by police officers whilst laying their lives on the line. Despite the bad news, there have been some success stories in the short time since the creation of the Brandenburg police. In addition to individual acts of heroism, the Brandenburg police has been involved in certain other more pleasant affairs. For example, during the World Economic Conference between the 6th and 8th July 1992 in Munich, a squadron of the Bereitschaftspolizei from Brandenburg helped out with security measures.

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