NCJ Number
131235
Journal
Kriminalist Volume: 22 Issue: 10 Dated: (Oktober 1990) Pages: 393-399
Date Published
1990
Length
7 pages
Annotation
The article criticizes the attempt of West Germany's largest police union, Gewerkschaft der Polizei (GdP), to merge ordinary police forces and criminal investigators in the State of Nordrhein-Westfalen.
Abstract
The GdP argues that the competition between criminal investigators and all-around police damages Germany's security, that a merger would give more opportunities and job satisfaction to all officers, and that all officers should receive the same training. The Union of German Criminal Investigators (BDK) opposes the reform; they argue that collaboration rather than competition prevails between the different police branches, that a merger would hurt both criminal investigators and ordinary officers as soon as both start competing for the same leadership positions, and that a uniform career path would deter many highly qualified candidates. The article concludes that the GdP cannot speak for all members of the police and that union members and politicians need to rethink the reform plan.