Police officers tend to take harsh action against certain groups of people. This is not only due to individual prejudices, a study from Lower Saxony has now shown.
Reports from those affected have shown for years that police officers in Germany practise racism in their everyday work. In the meantime, there have also been a number of judgements on “racial profiling”, i.e. targeted checks on people who the police assume have a migration background and who are only taken into custody for this reason. This practice contradicts the European Convention on Human Rights, which stipulates a ban on discrimination in Article 14.
A study by the Lower Saxony Police Academy has investigated which police work processes favour the observed discrimination. Astrid Jacobsen and Jens Bergmann analysed the everyday life of police officers on patrol duty, in the riot police and the criminal investigation department in various departments.
This participatory observation was started under Interior Minister Boris Pistorius (Social Democratic Party); it was only possible because the researchers themselves are members of the police force. As a result, they identified twelve “critical moments” in work processes. Five of these concern racial discrimination, explained Jacobsen at the presentation of the study on Monday.
With regard to random checks, the study found that there are often no guidelines as to which people should be selected. This leads to officers using their own criteria, including class, health restrictions or physical appearance. Police situation reports, which define certain locations as hotspots for certain offences and delinquents, reinforce this.
According to the researchers, “suspicious behaviour” is defined just as vaguely and is then interpreted by the officers themselves. The study cites “standing around”, “looking around” or “exchanging things” as criteria for such “police tunnel vision” and backs this up with examples: “You can recognise dealers by their appearance,” one police officer is quoted as saying. Other potential suspects went unnoticed.
Another example of discriminatory practice is the stereotypical risk assessment before operations. Officers rely on generalised assumptions and prejudices, including: “Southern Europeans are impulsive” or “Russians are prone to violence.” These preconceptions influence the decision on how many personnel and what equipment are deployed.
For example, if it is assumed that the people involved are of a certain ethnicity (e.g. during an operation in a block of flats where “special people” are supposed to live), the police would greatly increase capacity without any concrete evidence. The same applies to operations against “clans” who allegedly disregarded police authority.
The researchers also observed that police officers in particular accuse young men with a suspected migration background or alleged “clan” members of generalised disrespect and hostility towards the police. According to the study, these assumptions sometimes lead to officers demonstrating “their superiority in power” over these groups of people. In neighbourhoods where people without a migration background live, on the other hand, the police are “more respectful and approachable”.
The study also sheds light on how moral judgements based on ethnic categories can lead to discriminatory decisions. One example is a meeting at the police station in which a rape complaint is dealt with. The officer in charge comments disparagingly on the Indian names of those involved and expresses doubts about the credibility of the case due to cultural prejudices.
The researchers also observed discrimination in cases where the police cancelled interviews with victims or suspects at an early stage due to language barriers instead of seeking alternative communication channels. In one case of domestic violence, a victim could only be questioned inadequately because no interpreters were available and translation sheets were missing.
Last week, an ARD TV report documented how officers are also racially discriminated against within the police force. The protagonist of the programme is Abdel, whose full name should not be given and whose family is now the third generation to live in Germany. Abdel reports that he and other police officers with a migrant background regularly have to listen to racist jokes and even serious derogatory remarks about their origin or religion. People with a migrant background or non-German names are also discriminated against in the application process or for promotions, he says.
Finally, Abdel also complains that police officers who want to address or defend themselves against discrimination often do not receive the necessary support from their superiors. The researchers in Lower Saxony have also made this observation: there are still superiors and units that do not talk about institutional discrimination or even cover it up, Jacobsen told “nd”.
Abdel has since resigned from the Berlin police force. He suggests combating the discriminatory abuses with training and a reform that emphasises diversity. The authors of the police study also call for systematic reforms and training to change discriminatory routines and working habits.
In any case, there is great interest in the results of the study in the Lower Saxony police force and a great willingness to implement recommendations, Jacobsen stated on Monday. Complaints offices, which are independent and have their own investigative powers, could help with this, said Jacobsen when asked by “nd”.
Published in German in „nd“.
Image: If it is about “clan” criminality, officers are acting more harsh than in other cases (police Bottrop).
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