In March 2024, the German parliament elected former policeman Uli Grötsch to the newly created position of federal commissioner for the police, which meant that the Social Democrat (SPD) politician also had to resign his seat as a member of the German Bundestag, as the new position is designed to be independent.

Grötsch served as a police officer for 21 years — now he is the contact person for complaints about instances of discrimination in the federal police. Though he can point out demonstrable misconduct, any decision about punishment, up to and including dismissal, would have to be made by the employer or the courts.

At a press conference in Berlin organized by the media service Mediendienst Integration, Grötsch expressed his astonishment at the number of complaints he has received in his first three weeks: There have been three to four submissions a day, with now over 70 in total. Around 30% came from the police, with the rest coming from the general public.

Grötsch's tenure is to last five years. During this time, he says, there is one thing he wants to do above all else: Build trust. To do that, Grötsch says he will need a team that is as diverse as possible: "I need someone with black skin, someone with an Arab background, and, ideally, an LGBTQI person,"........

© Deutsche Welle