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CDU politician Reul: "That is my clear mission to you"
Photo: FRIEDEMANN VOGEL / EPA-EFE / Shutterstock
The North Rhine-Westphalian Interior Minister Herbert Reul (CDU) has called on the police in an internal letter to take action against criminally relevant behavior of colleagues.
This emerges from an email that Reul sent to the NRW police on Wednesday afternoon and that SPIEGEL has received.
It is related to the right-wing chat group scandal.
30 police officers are currently suspected of having sent and received photos of swastikas and Hitler, among others, for years.
"I do not want to encourage denunciations," wrote Reul in his email, "and it is also not about checking every utterance made during an operation and in the heat of the moment for its political correctness."
He believes that the police in North Rhine-Westphalia "have a good feeling" for "what is possible and where borders are being crossed".
"I would like to ask you to take a closer look and, if in doubt, to talk to colleagues," said the Interior Minister.
When it comes to criminally relevant content, this must be reported.
"That is your duty and my clear mission to you."
Reul also prepared the police officers for possible hostility in the coming days.
The officials could suffer from the latest revelations "because citizens or acquaintances speak to you, perhaps even accusing you of being extremists yourself".
In addition, the CDU politician announced that as a measure against possible further right-wing extremist tendencies, all executives of the NRW police would be invited to regional conferences.
Service group leaders, commissariat leaders and security service leaders are to attend these seminars, a total of 3500 officers.
"I will also attend these meetings personally," said Reul.
In an interview with SPIEGEL, Reul referred to the fatal damage to the company's image and its consequences for the police.
"A lot has been broken. Unfortunately, there will be people who will use this case as an excuse to behave indecently towards police officers. It will be more difficult for officers in dangerous situations."
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