The Freiwilliger Polizeidienst are voluntary police services in Germany under different denominations (for example Sicherheitswacht in Bavaria and Saxony and Freiwilliger Polizeidienst in Baden-Württemberg or Hesse), operated by non-professional forces. In most states, the forces are composed of trained volunteers, acting as an assisting and reserve force to the regular police force. Due to the fact, that the voluntary police services are state-run institutions, the equipment, training and tasks differ. Through patrols, it is supposed to ensure public order and safety.
The Voluntary State Police Services in Germany
Varying according to the legislation of individual states, auxiliary police forces have been established in modern Germany. The denominations and range of authority differ between Voluntary Police Force (Freiwilliger Polizeidienst / FPD), Security Watch (Sicherheitswacht) or Security Partner (Sicherheitspartner). These police forces are intended to maintain or establish public security and order throughout their assigned territories.
At present auxiliary police services exist in the states of Baden-Württemberg, Brandenburg, Bavaria, Hesse and Saxony; each under the supervision of the responsible state police force. The establishment of a voluntary police service is the sole responsibility of each state. While the voluntary police service in Baden-Württemberg was already established in May 1963, Hesse decided to create its own auxiliary force in 2000.
Volunteering is often limited to 40 hours per month and without any salary, but the volunteer receives certain benefits. Membership is not perceived as a professional appointment but rather as fulfilling a functional role in the state-social community. In some states the volunteers in service are rated as having the same legal standing as full-time police officers.
Baden-Württemberg
The Baden-Württemberg Voluntary Police Service was introduced in May 1963. On 31 December 2015, 744 citizens were volunteers. Its tasks include, as a general rule, the safeguarding and monitoring of road traffic, the safeguarding of buildings and installations, the motor vehicle service, the telecommunication service and similar technical services as well as the field service. Since the beginning of 1998, the voluntary police service has also been used in the area of municipal crime prevention.
From 2013 to 2016 the service was in liquidation, after the Green-Red coalition state government, which came into office in March 2011, had resolved its medium-term dissolution. The budget (EUR 2.2 million per year) for the voluntary police service was frozen, the recruitment process was terminated and funds released were reallocated for full-time staff. These measures were heavily criticized by the CDU opposition. The Green-Black government coalition, which came into office in 2016, wants to "create a new basis for the use of police volunteers as part of an overall concept for secure public spaces. Until then, the existing voluntary police service will be continued on the current level. "
The training lasts two weeks for basic training as well as a subsequent introductory use and takes place in a police station of the standby police or at the installation services (usually the police officers). Further training takes place individually at the respective departments (for example, districts) and collected in further training courses.
The members of the voluntary police service have the position of a police officer in the sense of the police network in Baden-Württemberg. This means that they can carry out all police measures such as security, police seizures, searches. Furthermore, they are also entitled to the exercise of the police force, including direct constraint.
They are subject to the principle of legality (prosecution) without being an investigator of the public prosecutor's office.
They carry the same police uniform with the same sleeve badge as the full-time police officers and carry essentially the same equipment, such as handcuffs, an irritant sprayer and a BOS radio. However, the now outdated Walther P5 is still run as a service weapon. On the other hand, the full-time members of the police carry the modern HK P2000. Signs of obligatory green or blue bars are provided as a grade of service sign according to the duration of the membership (one bar per five years of service). As a general rule, they carry out their duties with a full-time police officer and are entitled to carry service vehicles, for example patrol cars.