Young, male and already known to the police: After the Halloween riots and looting in major German cities, the question arises as to how the state should deal with these perpetrators - because of the 54 people arrested in Frankfurt am Main, around half do not have a German passport.
For the federal chairman of the police union (GdP), Jochen Kopelke, the program “Markus Lanz” reveals a fundamental problem. The authorities have already noticed many of the perpetrators, but the state cannot get them under control. "We can see that the young people at the meeting were moving through the city as normal. Then it got darker, then the left-wing extremist bloc came. And we have to talk about the last part," said Kopelke.
Kopelke described this “final part” as a clearly defined group of young men. These are adolescents “between 16 and early 20s”, including “Afghans, Syrians, Moroccans”. The police have already had to deal with them at the train station or in the city center because of robberies. According to Kopelke, these men took advantage of “this atmosphere of: In Germany, I can let off steam there.”
The GdP federal chairman expressly differentiated this group from other immigrants. This is “not at all the migrant world” in which people work, for example in hospitals. Rather, it is about a “manageable part” that the state has not been able to get under control for almost 15 years.
Serap Güler (CDU), Minister of State in the Foreign Office, recognizes another phenomenon among this group of perpetrators. In her opinion, it's also about "wanting to hurt the other person. Consciously wanting to hurt them." This could be physical or financial and material.
For moderator Markus Lanz, the question was why these perpetrators “do the things here that they wouldn’t do in Morocco, that they wouldn’t do in Afghanistan, that they wouldn’t do in Iraq, wouldn’t do in Syria.”
In his answer, political scientist and author Hamed Abdel-Samad referred to the parental home and the attitudes that are instilled in young people there. It makes a difference if the message there is: “Do your best, try to become part of this country. You have a good chance here.”
At the same time, he criticized parts of the refugee aid. As an example, he described a young Syrian who a left-wing refugee helper took to a demonstration against banks shortly after his arrival in Germany. Instead of telling newcomers that Germany is giving them a chance, they are sometimes told: “You are a victim of the West.”
Abdel-Samad therefore called for more binding expectations of immigrants. "What kind of integration requirements are there? Not just offers, but commandments," he said. In addition, religion, patriarchal structures, “macho behavior” and educational methods must be discussed openly.
“Repeat offenders, threshold offenders, intensive offenders”
Kopelke referred to the living situation of many conspicuous young people. These are young men “who at the end of the day are also losers in the system.” Many are bad at school and have little prospects on the job market. This could reinforce the feeling: "I have lost in this society. What do I have left to lose?" Added to this are drugs, alcohol and the influence of the Internet. After all, the street is about “recognition and power and dominance.” According to Kopelke, culture, upbringing at home, refugee experiences and nationality could also play a role.
That is why the constitutional state must finally take action. The police repeatedly encounter “repeat offenders, threshold offenders, intensive offenders”. But until consequences follow, further crimes could be committed. “You can commit a lot of crime, and by the time you are held accountable for it, I have already moved or left the country or am currently on vacation somewhere else,” said the GdP federal chairman.
Particularly annoying for the police officer: Although this debate is not new, nothing has changed. "We have the same debate every New Year's Eve. We have the cityscape debate, the first name debate," Kopelke said. Instead of discussing the same fundamental questions over and over again, the state must use the available options and not do another round in which everyone has to have their say.
In his opinion, there is no need for new laws. What is more important is to consistently apply existing law and complete proceedings more quickly. “We have a great constitutional state that can also be defensive,” said Kopelke. His final appeal: “Then apply and do it.” This would then bring “relaxation to the population”.
