GdP wants "suspicion-independent controls" by the Federal Police

Berlin – The German Police Union (GdP) is demanding the possibility of conducting suspicion-independent checks by the Federal Police. "Especially at the large train stations in city centers," his colleagues are experiencing "less and less respect and acceptance," said Alexander Roßkopf, GdP Chairman for the Federal Police, to the "Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland" (Editorial Network Germany). "For this reason, too, a fundamental authority to conduct checks at train stations, always taking proportionality into account, is absolutely necessary." Roßkopf advocated for this to be taken into account in the amendment to the Federal Police Act. "As a police force, we must remain absolutely capable of action to ensure security in our country," he said. Suspicion-independent checks have been criticized because, according to a study by the EU Fundamental Rights Agency, people perceived as "foreign" are checked more than twice as often as people who are not considered foreign. Roßkopf recalled the demand by Bavaria's Minister-President Markus Söder (CSU) to increase the number of federal police personnel at train stations. A total of 3,000 to 4,000 police officers would be missing there, he said. "More security at the stations also results in a better cityscape."