Development of standard in policing in Germany

Abstract EN

Germany, the most densely-populated country in the heart of Europe, has nearly 260,000 Police Officers on duty in 19 Police forces within its 16 states and on the federal level.

This article shows the historic and contemporary setup of the German Police and its legislative background.

The recruitment, training and educational processes as well as recent changes after the reunification of the Federal Republic of (Western-) Germany (a NATO and European Union member) with the former German Democratic Republic and the political, social and economic development during the last decades will be explained in detail.

New security- related phenomena, the so called "cyber crime", the rising transnational and cross-border crimes and conflicts in underdeveloped or failed states show the importance of a flexible, science-based and future-oriented approach for law enforcement.

This led towards an increasing need for international police cooperation and a commitment of the Police in transnational crime-fighting and international civilian peacekeeping activities within international organizations like the United Nations and the European Union.

The article concludes by explaining recent trends in policing, from strict hierarchical control towards a modem management and leadership approach and a cooperative network of public- private partnerships by delegating assignments to networks of actors.

The Police in Germany have to cope with limited human and financial resources, a constantly aging staff against an increasing demand for security.

The changes and current developments will influence the work of the German Police and will lead the path to future challenges with the need for more cooperation and information exchange.