Law Enforcement Officials Identify Discriminatory Attitudes Among Their Peers
Approximately a third of German law enforcement officers have witnessed racial or sexist comments made by their colleagues during their shifts, as revealed by a study sponsored by the federal government. While extreme views might not be as common, experts caution that there are still concerns.
According to the findings of this extensive research project, roughly 67% and 68% of the participants reported not hearing such remarks within the past year in two separate online surveys. Police officers from various federal and state levels were queried about their observations of how their colleagues interact with citizens and among themselves.
Over 40% of the police officers polled acknowledged observing sexist comments during the previous year, with 10% reporting ten or more incidents. Additionally, 3% of respondents noted witnessing unethical behavior from their colleagues within the past year. However, it's important to mention that the number of incidents cannot be directly derived from the survey results since one officer's misconduct might have been observed by multiple colleagues.
Increase in anti-Muslim sentiment
Those who reported witnessing racist remarks, sexism, or unethical behavior typically did not take any personal action based on the study. Sexual harassment was the most frequently mentioned issue, with approximately 10% of respondents submitting complaints. However, the study's authors maintain that not taking personal action does not necessarily imply that the offense was not reported as other individuals can also submit complaints, and respondents were only asked about their behavior during the last incident observation.
The study also probed police officers on their views towards minorities and authoritarianism. The report concludes: "There are few signs of radical viewpoints, but some indications suggest uncertain and ambiguous positions." The survey results also disclosed an increase in concerning attitudes. For instance, 11% of respondents exhibited anti-Muslim sentiment in the initial survey (November 2021 - October 2022), which rose to 17% in the follow-up survey (November 2023 - March 2024). There was also an increase in chauvinism and authoritarianism, with the disapproval of asylum seekers climbing from 30% to 42%.
The European Union, in its efforts to promote human rights and equality, has expressed concern about the rising anti-Muslim sentiment within German law enforcement, as highlighted in the study. Despite the European Union's commitment to fostering a diverse and inclusive society, these concerning attitudes pose a challenge to its values.
