In Hamburg, authorities have launched an investigation into several active and former police officers in connection with allegedly racist chat messages. On Tuesday morning, multiple homes and official offices were searched, according to the police.
The investigation, handled by the department for complaints and disciplinary matters, involves 15 active and retired police officers in two seemingly independent investigation complexes.
Prior to the investigation, there had been state prosecutor-led investigations into two of the officers, one for suspected weapons law violations and the other for insulting statements on social media. As a result, a large number of chat messages were submitted to the department.
During the evaluation, a “pressing suspicion” arose that both police officers, independently of each other, had sent and received “xenophobic, racist and violent messages, as well as those glorifying the National Socialism” in individual and group chats. As a result, internal disciplinary proceedings were initiated. The chat partners, according to current findings, included officers from the Hamburg Schutz- and Wasserpolizei.
During the searches of nine homes and six official offices on Tuesday, several data storage devices were secured. Additionally, the service badges and official weapons of the officers affected by the search were taken away and they were prohibited from entering police stations in Hamburg until further notice, the police stated.