Overview
- Police disclosed this week that of 1,224 training places only 936 were filled last year, leaving roughly a quarter of posts vacant.
- Officials say about 40 percent of applicants fail the mandatory German-language portion of the multi-hour computerized exam, with the dictation, gap text and grammar items cited as the main hurdles.
- Leadership insists it will not relax language or competency requirements because officers must explain measures to the public, understand legal bases for actions and produce clear written reports.
- Recruitment is also squeezed by falling applicant numbers and pay competition from the Bundespolizei and neighbouring Brandenburg, with research showing a drop in applications since 2020.
- To address the shortfall police have boosted social-media recruiting, produced the 'Hundertzehn' series and offer preparatory German lessons for candidates, yet officials warn vacancies could keep straining patrols and training pipelines.