Since August 2020, 74 disciplinary proceedings have been initiated against police officers in Berlin on suspicion of official misconduct with a politically motivated background. This emerges from the answer to a written request from the Green MP Vasili Franco to the Senate, which is available to the German Press Agency.
After that, 52 procedures are still being processed. 22 were completed: Of these, eight were discontinued. In ten cases, civil servants were dismissed on revocation or on probation. In two cases there were reprimands, in two others fines.
According to the interior administration, service offenses with a politically motivated background include violations of the duty of neutrality, the duty of impartial and fair conduct of office and the duty of moderation.
For the most part, breaches of the constitution and good conduct are the subject of corresponding proceedings. “These cases are regularly about relevant statements, in particular as word and/or image contributions in chat groups or also about participation in relevant events,” says the answer from the internal administration.
In August 2020, the then Interior Senator Andreas Geisel (SPD) and Police President Barbara Slowik announced that the Berlin police would tighten their measures, especially against right-wing extremist attitudes among individual officers.
To this end, an eleven-point concept “for the internal prevention and combating of possible extremist tendencies” was presented. Part of this is the possibility for anonymous tips from colleagues, queries with the Office for the Protection of the Constitution and intensive interviews with applicants.
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Franco said of the data that the eleven-point plan is having an effect. “It is correct that the internal administration starts early to prevent extremist tendencies.” It is important not to look the other way and to pursue suspected cases consistently.
