Disproportionate actions against fans by the police always cause discussions. The study now published “Bodily harm in office by police officers” (KviAPol) comes to the conclusion that police violence is a problem, especially in football.
As part of a research project by the German Research Foundation (DFG), 3,300 victims of police violence were questioned and 60 expert interviews were conducted. According to the study, football fans are the second most affected group by police violence. Only at demonstrations are there more victims. However, the respondents themselves classified the actions of the police officers as illegal, without there having to be an actual violation of the law.
Punches, bumps, tear gas
According to researcher Laila Abdul-Rahman, nearly a quarter of those surveyed said they had encountered unlawful police violence at a football game. “These are mainly young men in their mid-20s who belong to the active fan scene.”said Abdul-Rahman.
The supporters report hits, bumps and the massive use of tear gas and water cannons by the police at football games. In addition to physical consequences, this also has psychological consequences, which is ultimately reflected in a loss of trust in the officials.
Fan aids speak of basic Problem
For Linda Röttig from the Umbrella Association of Fan Aids (eV), the study is definitive proof that police violence is no longer an isolated case, but a fundamental problem: “The police must finally systematically dismantle their enemy image ‘soccer fan’. Fan rights are civil rights that must not be undermined even on the day of the game.”she explained.
Recently there was a lot of excitement about a police operation in autumn 2022 in the second division derby between FC St. Pauli and Hamburger SV. According to FC St. Pauli, several people were injured by police officers during the accompanying police operation. The federal government recently confirmed in a small question from the Left Group that in this context an official of the federal police was being investigated on suspicion of physical harm in office.
police union: “Lawbreakers not tolerated”
Disciplinary proceedings have been initiated against the officer and have been suspended until the criminal investigation has been completed, the response said. An inquiry by Deutschlandfunk at the beginning of the year revealed that four officers were being investigated. This fits with the findings of the study that in the end there was only a low rate of charges against police officers.
The police union made it clear to the German Press Agency (dpa) that it would not tolerate any lawbreakers in its own ranks. However, it also shows that a large number of proceedings are discontinued because there is insufficient suspicion of a crime. However, the study concludes that most cases of police violence go unprosecuted.
This, in turn, complains about Linda Röttig from the umbrella organization for fan aid and calls for police officers to be required to identify themselves. With this labeling obligation, attacks by officials on duty could be countered preventively. In addition, there is a need for independent control and investigative bodies that can investigate reports against the police without restrictions. The scientists of the study also regret that in Germany, unlike in other countries, there is no transparent statistical recording of how often and in what form the police in Germany use violence.
Defensive operational planning by Stadium Alliances
In order to reduce the tense situation in football between the police and fans, some federal states are now starting with a more defensive deployment plan. So-called stadium alliances have long been established in Baden-Württemberg. The aim is to reduce the number of emergency services at a Bundesliga game. And to agree on a strategy adapted to each game with all relevant security partners in advance. Since 2017, tens of thousands of police hours have been saved. A saving of two million euros per year.
According to the Ministry of the Interior there, more than 80 percent of the games are completely trouble-free and peaceful. A maximum of two percent of all games are affected by incidents and disruptions up to and including riots. In the course of the publication of the study, Linda Röttig from the umbrella organization for fan aids also calls for more defensive deployment planning for all football locations: “In training and deployment tactics, de-escalation by the police must be given more attention than escalation!”
The stadium alliances have recently been implemented in four federal states. A first step to reduce police violence, especially in football. For the scientists of the study, communication is also the key to being able to de-escalate directly.