NCJ Number
113077
Date Published
1988
Length
230 pages
Annotation
This book examines the history, organization, and reform efforts of police in the Federal Republic of Germany, with focus on the post-World War 2 years.
Abstract
Using archival data and information from site visits to two police departments and two training installations, the text details four aspects of police organizational reform -demilitarization, communalization, democratization, and improved community relations and public accountability. In the 1950's, the German police organization earned a reputation as a citizen-friendly police that respected the rights of individuals in a democracy. At the same time, internal organization and processes, as well as training, were hardly democratic in tone. A campaign of reform and demilitarization in the 1970's resulted in a more relaxed atmosphere and more participatory management. Nonetheless, police-public relations have continued to deteriorate. Factors contributing to this situation include the legacy of police as an instrument of Nazi policy under the Third Reich, increasing mechanization and professionalization, the Federal nature of the organization, highly regimented and internally administered training, a lack of external controls, and an emphasis on bureaucracy and law. These factors, coupled with social change, have created a tension in German society that have impacted negatively on German police-community relations. Index and approximately 230 references.