The Police Union (GdP) has rejected the plans put forward by Federal Minister of Justice Stefanie Hubig (SPD) to decriminalize fare evasion. Andreas Roßkopf, the GdP head for the Federal Police, stated to the “Rheinische Post” that this move would effectively reduce fare evasion to a minor infraction. He added that if the minister’s plan were implemented, there is a risk that “very many people will simply not care whether or not they have a ticket”.
Furthermore, Roßkopf criticized the concept, arguing that it is a sign of desperation to downgrade a criminal offense to a public order violation under the justification that the justice system is too burdened. According to him, the illegal receipt of benefits must remain a criminal offense; otherwise, it opens the door to such actions. He noted that often the issue is not about small amounts of money, but rather sums in the double or triple digits.
