Police officers in the Free State have now accumulated more than 3.15 million hours of overtime. According to a response to a parliamentary inquiry from the Green Party in the Bavarian state parliament, which was reported by the Augsburger Allgemeine, the Munich Police Headquarters and the State Criminal Police Office are especially affected. On average, the additional workload per officer amounts to 123 and 143 hours respectively.
The state government cites a long list of special operations as the main reason: large-scale deployments such as the 2022 G7 summit, farmers’ protests, the European Football Championship, the Munich Security Conference, and the Oktoberfest all require a disproportionately high number of police officers. On top of that, time-intensive special investigation units and complex criminal cases put further strain on resources.
Concerns About Health and Recruitment
The Green Party in the state parliament stresses that simply “waiting for calmer times” is not a solution. The enormous workload poses risks to the health of police officers and undermines the attractiveness of the profession—particularly in regions where recruiting new personnel is already difficult.
Specifically, the Greens are calling for a special payout program: for overtime worked between 2026 and 2029, a 20 percent bonus should be granted. In addition, binding targets for reducing overtime should be introduced for all police headquarters. Overtime should not be allowed to expire but must either be fully compensated financially or offset with time off.
Calls for Structural Reforms
Beyond financial incentives, the Greens are also demanding organizational changes. Tasks unrelated to policing, such as escort services, should be transferred to the judiciary. Furthermore, the border police should focus on dragnet controls, while responsibility for monitoring Germany’s external borders should rest entirely with the Federal Police.
Latest Posts
