Germany's largest police union has condemned the dilapidated state of hundreds of police stations across the country, citing mould, vermin, broken heating and leaking ceilings as hazards to officers' health. The GdP union also criticised the aged vehicle fleet, describing patrol cars with torn seats, broken gear sticks and over half a million kilometres on the odometer as 'shameful' and 'embarrassing'.
Hagen Husgen of the GdP told the regional daily Münchner Merkur that conditions in some stations were 'hazardous to health' and compounded difficulties in recruiting young officers. The union provided photos showing gaping holes in ceilings, a mouse under a desk and foam spilling from car seats.
The GdP said Germany's 16 federal states need more support from Berlin to address the crisis. While the federal government has created a €500bn 'special fund' for infrastructure, including federal police, the union argues this is insufficient for state-level needs. Husgen estimated an investment backlog in the 'double-digit billion euro range' for police property alone.
A spokesperson for the federal interior ministry noted that police stations and vehicles are constitutionally the responsibility of the states, though the federal government assists through special programmes for equipment and digital communications. The ministry also pledged increased financing for special police forces as part of broader domestic security plans.
