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Badge of the BPOL (since 2005)
German Federal Police cutter BP21 Bredstedt
A Bundespolizei van with the new colour scheme and old license plates
The Bundespolizei (BPOL) is the (primarily) uniformed federal police force of Germany. It is subordinate to the Federal Ministry of the Interior (Bundesministerium des Innern). Ordinary police forces fall under the administration of the individual German states (Bundesländer) and are known as the Landespolizei.
The Bundespolizei was previously known as the Bundesgrenzschutz (BGS) ("Federal Border Guard") until July 1, 2005 when the law renaming the BGS as the BPOL was enacted. Prior to 1994 BPOL members had combattant status.
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The BPOL has the following missions:
The Bundespolizei can also be used to reinforce state police if requested to do so by a state (Land) government. The BPOL maintains these reserve forces to deal with major demonstrations, disturbances or emergencies to supplement the capabilities of the State Operational Support Units. Several highly trained detachments are available for crisis situations requiring armored cars, water cannon or other special equipment.
The BPOL has investigators who conducts criminal investigations only within its jurisdiction; otherwise the cases are referred to the appropriate state police force or to the federal criminal investigative agency, the Federal Criminal Police (Bundeskriminalamt, BKA).
The Bundespolizei consists of around 40,000 personnel,
BMW standard patrol car
Bundesgrenzschutz patch (1952 to 1976)
The BPOL national headquarters (BPOL-Präsidium) is in Potsdam performing all central control functions. Eight regional headquarters (BPOL-Direktion) control the BPOL stations conducting rail police and border protection missions. These areas of responsibility conform to the federal state boundaries which they did not do prior to 1 March 2008.
The regional headquarters are as follows:
These regional headquarters each have an investigation department and a mobile inspection and observation unit. Moreover, they control the 67 BPOL stations (BPOL-Inspektion) which in turn control the Bundespolizeireviere or precincts located in places that require a 24-hour presence by BPOL officers.
A special Direktion is responsible for Frankfurt International Airport.
The central school for advanced and vocational training is in Lübeck and controls the five basic training schools in Swisttal, Neustrelitz, Oerlenbach, Walsrode and Eschwege.
The Zentrale Direktion Bundesbereitschaftspolizei controls the mobile support and rapid reaction battalions located in Bayreuth, Deggendorf, Blumberg (near Berlin), Hünfeld, Uelzen, Duderstadt, Sankt Augustin, Bad Bergzabern, Bad Düben and Ratzeburg. The number of Bereitschaftspolizei companies increased in March 2008 from 28 to 29 comprising approx. 25 percent of Germany’s police support units. Official BPOL news release on reorganisation (in German)
The following special units also exist:
BGS camouflage pattern for tents and uniforms (1952 to 1976)
In 1951 the German government established a Federal Border Protection Force (Bundesgrenzschutz or BGS) composed of 10,000 men under the Federal Interior Ministry’s jurisdiction. The force replaced allied military organisations such as the U.S. Constabulary then patrolling Germany’s international borders. The BGS was described as a mobile, lightly-armed police force for border and internal security despite fears that it would be the nucleus of a new West German army. When West Germany did raise an army, BGS personnel were given the choice of staying in the BGS or joining the army. Most decided to join the army.
In 1953, the BGS took control of the German Passport Control Service. In 1976, the state police grades replaced the military rank structure and BGS training was modified to closely match that of the state police forces (Landespolizei). The West German Railway Police (Bahnpolizei), formerly an independent force, and the East German Transportpolizei were restructured under the BGS in 1990. In July 2005, the BGS was renamed the Bundespolizei or BPOL (Federal Police) to reflect its transition to a multi-faceted police agency. The change also involved the shift to blue uniforms and livery for vehicles and helicopters. The German Interior Ministry reviewed the structure of the BPOL in 2007 and in March 2008 made the structure leaner to get more officers out of offices and onto patrol.
Bundespolizei vehicles have license plates that are based on the BP XX-YYY system. BP stands for Bundespolizei. Older vehicles may still have the BGS "BG" plates.
XX is a number from 10 to 55 indicating the type of vehicle:
10 to 12: Motorcycle
15 to 19: Car
20 to 24: Four wheel drive car
25 to 29: Car
30 to 39: Medium four wheel drive vehicle
40 to 49: Trucks and buses
50 to 54: Armoured cars.
55: Trailers
YYY is a combination of up to three numbers.
A Eurocopter EC-155 of the Bundespolizei (note: all Bundespolizei helicopters are to be repainted blue in the near future)
In general, the BPOL has a positive reputation among German citizens. It is perceived as a source of security and as a well-trained, professional organisation. The fact that the Bundespolizei does not perform normal police duties such as writing speeding tickets, might contribute to this perception. Its counter-terrorist unit, GSG 9, is well known.
German human rights organizations such as "Pro Asyl" have repeatedly criticized the Bundespolizei for its alleged heavy-handed approach in the deportation of asylum seekers which, in the case of Sudanese refugee Amir Ageeb, allegedly resulted in his death onboard a Lufthansa aircraft. For more information see Human rights in Germany.
Landespolizei - German State Police
Volkspolizei- Former East German Police
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