Amid a new high in politically motivated criminal offences across Germany, the German Police Union (GdP) is demanding a major upgrade to the police force. GdP chairman Jochen Kopelke told the “Rheinische Post” that the union urgently requires improved investigative powers and, crucially, more police officers to counteract this escalating trend.
Kopelke warned that political crime is increasingly consuming daily life, stressing that action must be taken before threats escalate into actual violence. He described the development as “terrifyingly dangerous,” asserting that political criminality is no longer a fringe issue but rather an attack on democratic cohesion. Allowing coercion, hate, and violence to become normalized in the country, he stated, is unacceptable.
Recent data supports this concern. According to the Federal Ministry of the Interior and the Federal Criminal Police Office, a total of 85,837 crimes were recorded in 2025-a rise of nearly two percent compared to the previous year. This increase was largely attributed to a surge in left-wing extremist criminal activity, which totaled 13,490 cases.
