Berlin Police Department Has Trouble Finding Suitable Applicants
What are the required skills many potential new officers do not seem to have?
The Berlin Police Department faces a significant challenge in finding suitable applicants for their 18,500 officers who serve a city of 3.9 million inhabitants. Each year, they receive a large number of applications - around 12,000 in the previous year - but only manage to hire 936 new police officers. This is largely due to a lack of German language skills among the applicants, with 40 percent failing the entrance test due to insufficient grammar or dictation abilities, despite the department providing preparatory material.
Despite their efforts, the Berlin Police do not lower their standards because they must clearly explain their actions to the public and justify them legally. The competition is fierce, even among young talents sought by the Federal Police responsible for transport hubs. The Berlin Police could potentially increase salaries to attract more candidates, but doing so is a complex process.
The language barrier is not exclusive to certain groups, affecting even those who could be considered more German.
Written by urgent.news from The Berlin Spectator's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
