Latest Update: Hamburg Police Investigate Racist Online Chats Involving 15 Officers

The police department in Hamburg, Germany, has launched an inquiry into the activities of a group of officers who have been implicated in alleged racist online discussions. As part of this investigation, authorities raided nine apartments on Tuesday.

This follows reports that two individuals, identified as serving or former officers, exchanged messages that were deemed both racist and in support of violence and Nazi ideology. These actions spurred the initiation of this investigation which currently involves 15 police officers — a mix of those on active duty and those who have retired.

State prosecutors’ve reviewed the tens of thousands of chat logs but so far they haven’t found enough to support criminal charges, highlighting that the case is largely handled as an internal police matter. As a result, any sanctions against the officers in question will likely be restricted to disciplinary actions rather than criminal penalties.

Hamburg’s Chief of Police, Falk Schnabel, has addressed the issue, stating that the police force has zero tolerance for such attitudes.

“The conducted investigations aim to determine the extent of the officials’ involvement and will lead to the appropriate disciplinary actions if the accusations are substantiated,” he remarked.

Source: https://www.dw.com/en/germany-several-hamburg-police-officers-under-racism-probe/a-71822294?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf