police - Procedures against police officers - Numbers not clear
The number of disciplinary proceedings against police officers in Brandenburg, according to figures from the Interior Ministry, has increased in recent years. Last year, 56 such proceedings were initiated, the ministry stated in a communication. In 2020, there were reportedly only 32. However, a spokesperson for the ministry noted that some of the proceedings are dropped over time. "This legally regulated disposal prohibition provides for the removal of disciplinary proceedings from the personnel file after certain deadlines and thus renders them no longer searchable in retrospect," he explained. He did not say why the numbers could not be accessed anonymously. A clear development can therefore not even be read for the employers - the Interior Ministry. According to the State Disciplinary Law, references to disciplinary measures such as warnings, fines, reductions in pay, and reductions in retirement benefits may no longer be considered after two years. For proceedings that were closed without disciplinary action, even shorter deadlines apply.
If there are indications that an administrative offense has been committed, a disciplinary proceeding can be initiated. Then it is checked whether a mistake was indeed made by the employee. "At this point, they are therefore still suspicion cases, so no valid statements can be made about the development of the disciplinary proceedings," the spokesperson explained. Among the cases mentioned, some ongoing proceedings are being carried out. "We cannot make any statements about the accusation for data protection reasons," he added.
The Interior Ministry in Potsdam is responsible for overseeing disciplinary proceedings against police officers in Brandenburg, as revealed in their recent statistics. Despite an increase in these proceedings in recent years, some cases may be dropped due to legally imposed disposal deadlines, as explained by a ministry spokesperson.
