Reform - Ampel wants to give the federal police more powers
The federal police are to be given more powers to monitor telecommunications and collect the corresponding connection data. The Federal Cabinet approved the long-controversial reform of the Federal Police Act in Berlin. Now it is the Bundestag's turn.
The federal police are to be allowed to use the new powers in the area of telecommunications, for example when it comes to protecting life and limb. In future, officers will also be able to identify and locate mobile phone cards and mobile devices such as cell phones if there is a court order. This should help in the fight against smuggling and extremists. It should also help to find suicidal people on railroad lines.
There are also to be new rules for the use of drones by the federal police and for the defense against drones and other unmanned vehicle systems if they pose a threat. There had been intensive discussions with airport operators, who must provide the federal police with suitable premises.
Struggle over identification requirements
There was also a struggle over mandatory identification for federal police officers. There are now plans for identification with a sequence of numbers that will allow officers to be identified by name, but not for everyone. This should make it easier to investigate possible criminal offenses or breaches of duty by police officers, but without exposing the officers to an increased risk in their private lives.
The Federal Government's anti-racism commissioner, Reem Alabali-Radovan (SPD), was one of those who pushed for people who are questioned by the Federal Police to be issued with so-called control receipts in future. Among other things, the place, time and reason for the check should be noted on this receipt.
In future, the Federal Police should be able to temporarily ban people from certain places if they assume that they are committing crimes of significant importance there. This regulation could be used, for example, to prevent violent soccer hooligans from arriving. Custody cells should be able to be monitored with video and sound, for example to check whether inmates are harming themselves.
Security check by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution
In future, all newly recruited police officers are to undergo a security check by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution. This is intended to prevent extremists from infiltrating the federal police force.
The police union (GdP) believes that the reform is urgently needed because the current version from 1994 lacked powers to counter terrorism, use artificial intelligence and video technology. Meanwhile, the independent Federal Commissioner for Anti-Discrimination, Ferda Ataman, criticized the draft reform as one-sided - it mainly protects the police from discrimination.
On the other hand, Alexander Throm (CDU), spokesperson for internal affairs in the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, complained that police officers should be placed under general suspicion. He referred to the planned control receipts. "However, the traffic light falls far short of what is necessary in terms of technical competencies." Throm made a concrete plea for automatic facial recognition systems.
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- The reform, approved by the Federal Cabinet, grants the German Federal Police increased powers to monitor telecommunications and collect corresponding connection data, which could potentially involve the use of drones for surveillance.
- The new rules for drone use by the federal police also include measures to defend against drones and other unmanned vehicle systems if they pose a threat, with airport operators providing suitable premises for these operations.
- There was a debate over mandatory identification for federal police officers, with plans for sequential number identification to aid investigations but without exposing officers to increased risks in their private lives.
- The federal police, under this reform, will be able to temporarily ban individuals from specific locations if they suspect criminal activities, such as preventing violent soccer hooligans from attending matches.
- All newly recruited police officers will undergo a security check by the German Office for the Protection of the Constitution to prevent extremists from infiltrating the force.
- Criticism of the reform came from various quarters, including the independent Federal Commissioner for Anti-Discrimination, who felt that it unfairly favored the police, and the police union, which urged more focus on technological competencies and the implementation of automatic facial recognition systems.
Source: www.stern.de
