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German Police 'Feel Abandoned, Turning Away' From Traditional Political Parties

© REUTERS / Fabrizio BenschGerman police provide security at the Brandenburg Gate, ahead of the upcoming New Year's Eve celebrations in Berlin, Germany December 27, 2016
German police provide security at the Brandenburg Gate, ahead of the upcoming New Year's Eve celebrations in Berlin, Germany December 27, 2016 - Sputnik International
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According to Andreas Grün, chairman of the police trade union in Hessen, police officers in Germany are gradually turning away from traditional parties.

Deputy Chairman of the police trade union, Ewald Gerk, reaffirmed this position in an interview with Sputnik Germany, saying that the main reasons behind this trend are frustration and the lack of money.

"I have the same feeling as Mr. Grün," Gerk told Sputnik. "When we talk to people, you see that they become more and more disappointed in traditional parties."
Salary is one of the main factors that have caused dissatisfaction among police staff as the set rate is not a subject to indexation.

A German police officer stands next to a merry-go-round in the Christmas market in Frankfurt, Germany, Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2016 one day after a truck ran into a crowded Christmas market in Berlin killing several people - Sputnik International
German Police Admits 'It Can Do Nothing' to Prevent Terrorist Attacks
"Honestly, people feel abandoned," Gerk said, adding that most police officers have to work overtime. "The combination of family and career is not as easy as suggested by politicians."

Salary is one of the main factors that have caused dissatisfaction among police staff as the set rate is not a subject to indexation.

"I understand why people are turning away from traditional parties. They do not feel that they are appreciated," he stressed.

Earlier, Gerk also noted that the German police is lacking staff and can do nothing to prevent future terrorist attacks in the country.

"What sense does it make that there are cameras on every corner, but the pictures themselves are analyzed much later? We need more forces, so that in case of emergency we could help the victims immediately — and not in a few days, when the video will be examined," he said.

A policeman and firemen stand next to a truck on December 20, 2016 at the scene where it crashed into a Christmas market near the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedaechtniskirche (Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church) in Berlin - Sputnik International
German Police Detain New Suspect of Berlin Truck Attack
On December 19, a truck rammed into the crowd at a Christmas market in the center of Berlin, killing 12 people and injuring 48 others. The suspected perpetrator, 24-year-old Tunisian citizen Anis Amri, was shot dead a few days later by the police in Milan, Italy, after he was stopped for a routine check.
According to a recent survey carried out by Forsa, 69% of Berlin residents are afraid of new attacks following the recent terrorist attack on the Christmas market in the German capital.

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