Ursula Mecklenbrauck, North Rhine-Westphalia’s first independent police ombudsman, has reported receiving complaints in the first four weeks of her term, with the numbers remaining in the low triple digits. She noted that the majority of these inputs are coming from citizens rather than from police personnel themselves. According to her statement to the “Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung”, her current focus remains primarily on addressing citizen concerns. She admitted that gaining the trust of the police force will take effort, viewing this requirement as a responsibility she must fulfill. In the coming months, she plans to visit all police authorities across North Rhine-Westphalia.
The former Police Superintendent of Krefeld views the current criticism directed at her position with measured calmness. She pointed out that criticisms were comparable in the past within the federal government and in several other states before the introduction of such ombudsman offices, but that controversy quickly subsided there. These ombudsman roles, she contends, were quickly perceived as valuable points of contact. Mecklenbrauck further compared the present situation to 70 years ago when the military ombudsman was established, noting that the arguments used against the police ombudsman today are virtually identical to those used against the military ombudsman back then. She concludes that today, no one questions the authority of the military ombudsman, a precedent she hopes will apply to her role.
