Several German federal states are seeking increased financial support from the national government for their police forces, potentially through a dedicated special fund. This request follows a recent survey by the German Police Union (GdP) – reported by the Ippen-Media network – which revealed a significant backlog in police infrastructure investment across the country. The survey indicates hundreds of police stations are in disrepair and vehicle fleets are in a concerning state, leading to an estimated investment gap running into the double-digit billions.
States particularly affected include Berlin, Brandenburg, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Bremen. A spokesperson for Bremen’s Senate Department for the Interior stated that explicitly including police funding within the scope of the federal government’s existing special funds for infrastructure and climate protection would be both appropriate and welcomed.
Further calls were made for greater federal participation in the overall costs of jointly used police IT systems and infrastructure – encompassing information and processing systems such as evidence management networks – in order to alleviate the financial burden on the states. Bremen officials highlighted the state’s precarious budgetary situation, projecting a “budget emergency” through 2027 and emphasized a desire for federal support given the limited financial scope for police investment within the state’s current budget.
The Saxon State Ministry of the Interior expressed a positive view towards a federal special fund dedicated to police resources. While vehicle procurement was hampered by provisional budgeting and economic conditions in the first half of 2025, the ministry confirmed that new vehicles have since been ordered.
