Monday 6, November
Missing: 2 guns, 100 rounds of ammo, 390 cans of pepper spray, 35 bullet-proof vests
Berlin police seem like a forgetful bunch. Responding to a parliamentary question from Niklas Schrader (DIE LINKE), the force confirmed that they’ve lost quite a few pieces of equipment in the last few years. Anything important? Well, kind of…
Since 2021, the Berlin police have misplaced more than 100 rounds of ammunition, more than 390 cans of pepper spray, 130 batons, 35 bullet-proof vests and 2 pistols. According to the published statistics, the force responsible for the highest number of missing items was the traffic directorate, who misplaced 31 clips of 9mm rounds. It’s not all bad news, though: Berlin police can confirm that over the same period during they have not lost any tasers or explosive devices.
But is this anything worry about? It might be. Those with longer memories might have a few concerns about guns and ammunition vanishing from state armouries. Back in 2021, at least 20 German police officers were investigated, both in Saxony and Bavaria, for stealing guns and ammunition from their workplaces and providing it to a network of far-right extremist groups. At that time, more than 55,000 cartridges for various weapons were found in one “safe house” alone, including 90 sniper rifle bullets. Messages discovered on an encrypted chat service found these groups were planning to take power in Germany via a military coup.
But probably this is nothing like that. Maybe the guns will turn up. After all, it’s always in the last place you look.
