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Local Germany
3 days ago
- Politics
- Local Germany
Will more police in Germany be equipped with Tasers?
Germany's Interior Minister, Alexander Dobrindt (CSU), has spoken up in favour of equipping federal police with Tasers, citing an increased risk of physical violence to police officers in Germany. His comments have been welcomed by police union representatives who advocate for Tasers as a necessary protection for police officers. But the use of Tasers in law-enforcement is controversial and in some cases it has been lethal. Will police officers be issued with Tasers immediately? In an interview with t-online , Minister Dobrindt announced that a legal framework would be put in place this year, which would make it possible for federal police to carry Tasers. He also said that the federal government would provide the funding. 'We will do everything we can to ensure that our federal police officers can respond appropriately in any situation in the future,' he said. According to reporting by , many police officers in Germany already carry Tasers. Originally reserved for the exclusive use of special police units (SEKs) and customs officials, the devices have been introduced for patrol duty in Rhineland-Palatinate, North Rhine-Westphalia, Brandenburg, Bavaria, Schleswig-Holstein, Bremen, and Saarland in recent years. Advertisement Since 2023, pilot projects have also been underway in Berlin, Hamburg, Hesse, and with the federal police. Do German police need more protection? Minister Dobrindt's comments come against the backdrop of an increase in attacks on police officers, especially with knives. According to a report published by the BKA (Germany's Federal Criminal Police,) a total of 46,218 violent crimes against police officers were recorded in 2023 – an increase of 8 percent on the previous year and the sharpest recorded rise since 2017. A total of 105,708 police officers were threatened or attacked in Germany in 2023. "We must better protect our police officers," Dobrindt said according to media reports. "The Taser closes a dangerous gap between batons and service weapons," Who supports the use of Tasers? Representatives of the police have spoken out in favour of the plan. Andreas Roßkopf, chairman of the Germany's largest police union ( Gewerkschaft Polizei ) told the Rheinische Post that Tasers have a de-escalating effect. 'The tests show that even the threat of using them often calms heated situations,' Roßkopf said. Marcus Haider, a district chairman for another major German police union ( Deutsche Polizeigewerkschaft) described the advantages of Tasers over batons or firearms in a recent article . He noted that batons can only be used at a very close range, which puts officers at risk of injury. On the other hand, the use of firearms can often have lethal consequences. Police statistics show that Tasers are often fired at people suffering from mental health problems. According to the BKA report, roughly 20 percent of people shot by the police with Tasers in Germany in 2023 were subsequently transported to psychiatric institutions. READ ALSO: Germany mass stabbing suspect has 'psychological illness', police say What are the problems with Taser use? The interior minister's comments have drawn criticism from the Social Democrats (SPD), who are currently in the federal coalition with Dobrindt's CDU party. Advertisement Lower Saxony's Interior Minister Daniela Behrens (SPD) told the Süddeutsche Zeitung that arming the police further was not necessarily the best solution to tackling social problems. Members of the Left party have also raised concerns. 'This is not a measure to de-escalate the situation, but another step toward arming the police,' said Clara Bünger of the Left party. She also highlighted their potential risks adding, 'If the manufacturer's test subjects have to sign liability waivers due to possible fatal consequences, then we should ask ourselves whether such a device really belongs in the hands of police forces.' Despite police unions' advocacy of Tasers as a less-lethal alterative to firearms, their use has led to fatalities in Germany and elsewhere. According to the human rights organization Amnesty International, there have been at least ten deaths in Germany since 2021 in connection with the use of Tasers. Tasers fire two wire-connected darts from a short distance. Designed to deliver a strong electric pulse when they hit the skin, causing complete paralysis of the muscles for a few seconds, their use can have serious health consequences if used against people with heart diseases or cardiovascular problems. READ ALSO: German police under scrutiny following the killing of a young black man
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Yahoo
Attacks on Deutsche Bahn staff rise 6% in 2024, chief executive says
Attacks on employees of Germany's Deutsche Bahn railway rose by around 6% in 2024, the transport company's chief executive said on Friday. "In the last year, there were around 3,300 physical assaults, around 6% more than in the previous year," Richard Lutz told news portal t-online. "Every form of violence against employees is completely unacceptable." Around half of the attacks were against train employees in regional services, Lutz said. Other targets included cleaning staff, customer service employees and bus drivers. "We are unfortunately a mirror of societal developments," said Lutz. Deutsche Bahn is increasingly offering employees in regular contact with passengers body cameras. "These devices have proven themselves for security services and train personnel," Lutz said. Staff are also receiving de-escalation training, while trains are also being equipped with emergency alarms to call for help at short notice. The rise in attacks came on a busy year for Deutsche Bahn, which struggled to deliver services on time during the summer's football European Championships.
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bayern chief gives Davies injury update
Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies was forced off with a knee problem in the first half of Canada's 2-1 win over the United States on Sunday. Luckily for Bayern, the injury isn't serious, as club CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen revealed in an interview with t-online. 'The March break is a big challenge for clubs, it has to be said. Fortunately, Alphonso Davies has been given the all-clear. I really hope we can pick up the thread from the [2-0] win in Leverkusen,' Dreesen said. Davies should therefore be in contention to feature against St. Pauli when Bayern's Bundesliga campaign resumes on Saturday.
Yahoo
01-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ex-EU Commission chief Juncker proposes European defence bonds
Former European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker has proposed funding the defence expenditures of European nations through joint bonds. "That the Bundeswehr needs more money, like other armies in Europe, is beyond question," Juncker told German news portal t-online, referring to the German Armed Forces, in remarks published on Saturday morning. He said that he believes the issue should not be resolved solely by German debt, but that European bonds should be issued to meet the financial challenge. However, Juncker noted that this is a long path, referencing the previous debate on Eurobonds, which were particularly contentious in Germany. "What I am proposing now and what was done in connection with the pandemic are purpose-bound European bonds," he said. Juncker criticized Europe's current defence policy as inadequate. "The European defence budgets are too meagre to be taken seriously," he said, adding that Europe urgently needs to become more independent. At present, he noted, "there are only two armies in Europe that would be ready for immediate deployment, and those are the French and British." In addition to increased investments, Juncker called for structural reforms: "If we organized procurement in Europe a bit more sensibly, with fewer weapon types, fewer tank types, fewer helicopter types, we could save €100 billion [$104 billion] per year." Juncker is also aware of the difficulties in implementing this proposal. He mentioned that there are "national domains that people are reluctant to relinquish. The Germans will never give up building their own tanks," he said.
