Law enforcement in Germany is conducted by federal, state and municipal law enforcement agencies.
Federal law enforcement agencies
Federal Parliament (Bundestag) Polizei beim Deutschen Bundestag (Polizei DBT): Federal Parliament Police, responsible for the protection of the premises of the Bundestag in Berlin. In order to uphold the independence of the legislative power from the executive, this police force is responsible, not to the Minister of the Interior, but to the President of the Bundestag.
Federal Ministry of Defence Feldjägertruppe: Military Police of the Federal Defense Force
Federal Ministry of Finance Bundeszollverwaltung: Federal Customs Service Zollkriminalamt (ZKA): Customs Investigation Bureau ZUZ (Zentrale Unterstützungsgruppe Zoll): Customs police tactical unit
Federal Ministry of the Interior Bundeskriminalamt (BKA): Federal Criminal Office (comparable role to the Federal Bureau of Investigation) Missions Abroad and Special Operations unit (BKA ASE): Close protection detail in hazardous areas Bundespolizei (BPOL): Federal Police Bereitschaftspolizei (BePo): Riot Police Branch of Federal Police BFE (Beweissicherungs- und Festnahmeeinheit): Federal Evidence Securing and Arrests Unit BFE+ (Beweissicherungs- und Festnahmeeinheit plus): Federal Evidence Securing and Arrests Unit with elevated powers Federal Police Directorate 11 (Bundespolizeidirektion 11): Joint command of BPOL units with special tasks Bundespolizei-Fliegerstaffel: Federal Police Air Group German Federal Coast Guard ( Küstenwache des Bundes): Federal Coast Guard GSG 9 (GSG 9 der Bundespolizei): police tactical unit of Federal Police MFE (Mobile Fahndungseinheit): Special Unit for Covered (Individual and Technical) Surveillance Polizeiliche Schutzaufgaben Ausland (PSA BPOL): Protection force for the security of German diplomatic missions
State law enforcement agencies
Structure Landespolizei: State Police Autobahnpolizei: Highway Patrol of State Police Bayerische Grenzpolizei (GrePo): border police, exclusively of the state of Bavaria Bereitschaftspolizei (BePo): Riot Police Branch of State Police BFE (Beweissicherungs- und Festnahmeeinheit): State Police Special Detention Unit Kriminalpolizei (KriPo): Detective Branch of State Police MEK (Mobiles Einsatzkommando): Special Unit for Surveillance and Detention Schutzpolizei (SchuPo): Uniformed Branch of State Police SEK (Spezialeinsatzkommando): police tactical unit of State Police Wachpolizei (WaPol): Branch of State Police for the security of state government buildings or diplomatic facilities, only in the states of Berlin and Hesse Wasserschutzpolizei (WSP): River Branch of State Police Landeskriminalamt (LKA): ("State Criminal Office") State Bureau of Investigation, in some states subordinate to the state's police force MEK (Mobiles Einsatzkommando): most LKAs employ an MEK of their own, operating independently of the regular police MEK Justiz: Corrections Service
Auxiliary state police forces Freiwilliger Polizeidienst (Voluntary Police Service): auxiliary police force in the states of Baden-Württemberg and Hesse Sicherheitspartner (Security Partner): auxiliary police force in the state of Brandenburg Sicherheitswacht (Security Watch): auxiliary police force in the states of Bavaria and Saxony
List of the state police forces Baden-Württemberg Police Bavarian State Police Berlin Police Brandenburg Police Bremen Police Hamburg Police Hesse State Police
North Rhine-Westphalia Police Rhineland-Palatinate Police Saarland Police Saxony Police Saxony-Anhalt Police Schleswig-Holstein Police
Municipal law enforcement agencies
Municipal order enforcement agencies Kommunaler Ordnungsdienst (KOD): Municipal law enforcement, different regulations by state and local laws Ordnungsamt (OA): "municipal order agency", most common denomination Städtischer Ordnungsdienst: "Municipal Enforcement Service"
Municipal police forces Polizeibehörde: local "Police Authority" in several states Gemeindevollzugsdienst (GVD): "Municipal Code Enforcement Service" in the state of Baden-Württemberg Kommunalpolizei or Stadtpolizei: "Community Police" or "City Police" in cities of the state of Hesse
See also Auxiliary Police Freiwillige Polizei-Reserve, defunct auxiliary police service Freiwilliger Helfer der Grenztruppen: defunct auxiliary service in East Germany Freiwilliger Helfer der Volkspolizei: defunct auxiliary police force in East Germany Grenztruppen: defunct East German Border Troops Law enforcement in Germany Police forces of Nazi Germany List of law enforcement agencies Municipal police Volkspolizei - defunct East German Police
References