Polizeiakademie – Police Academy Berlin

“When I look back to the beginning of my research, I realize that my view of the German police was incredibly naive. On the one hand, it was far too positive, as I considered the institution, despite all the right-wing chat groups, by and large to be progressive. On the other hand, it was far too negative, as I, from my own experience, had a perception of a team of tough, emotionally cold executive professionals.

In any case, I was not prepared for the actual reality of the police. And I have come uncomfortably close to them more than once.

Above all, my encounters with police officers have taught me one thing: when we talk about our migration society, we discuss many things, but rarely do we address plain participation. The sense of belonging to our society and practical, concrete, and everyday participation that arises from being seen as a representative of this state and thus as a representative of our laws – not as a guest, a supplicant, or an insufficient resident of this country.”

Moritz Schulz