Hamburg: Fifteen police officers under investigation for racist messages

(Patria) - Fifteen active and retired police officers from Hamburg are under disciplinary investigation for sharing racist and pro-Nazi messages in online communication.

After court approval, the internal affairs unit of the Hamburg police conducted simultaneous searches of the homes and workplaces of six active officers, as well as the homes of three retired police officers.

Investigators seized numerous electronic devices as evidence.

Seven police officers have been suspended from duty, their official badges and weapons have been confiscated, and they have been denied access to police facilities without valid reason.

"We will thoroughly investigate these allegations and take all necessary disciplinary measures. Any form of discrimination, glorification of violence, or xenophobia will not be tolerated in the Hamburg police.

The Hamburg police stand for the values of our Constitution," stated Hamburg Police Chief Falk Schnabel.

The investigation stems from two separate cases involving police officers aged 44 to 61.

Preliminary analysis of the suspects' online conversations revealed that they exchanged xenophobic, racist messages glorifying violence and, in some cases, national socialism, in both private and group chats.

Schnabel called on all police officers to intervene actively whenever they encounter statements contrary to democratic values.

"For this purpose, we have developed instruments in recent years, including complaint management and central reporting of right-wing extremism, to consistently investigate every suspicion.

There is no place for hostility towards humanity and the Constitution," Schnabel concluded in the statement.