Main police station in Bonn „Unacceptable conditions“
Bonn · Too small, too cramped and completely shabby: For decades, the federal police station at the train station has not been renovated. Police officers consider the conditions unacceptable.
To describe the station of the federal police in the train station as „getting a bit long in the tooth“ would be a strong understatement. The premises reveal an alarming picture: low ceilings, an ancient toilet and only one entrance area for people seeking help, rioters and criminals. Looking for a waiting area - a waste of time. The police officers also have to handle other adversities: There is only one interrogation room with three desks inside.
„Separate interrogations are not possible. Two witnesses, who might make contradictory statements can not be separated for interrogation“, explains chief of inspection, Helmut Langenbach.
An obvious situation for Wolfgang Wurm, president of the federal police: „The police station is not acceptable due to various issues.“ The statement describes facts regarding the welfare of the employees as well as the matter of fire safety. And of course the expectations which citizens may have from the federal police. „This building is only fit to be brought into the Haus der Geschichte brick by brick.“ A modernization would not suffice, Langenbach explains. „Only a bulldozer and a new building will help.“
The rooms are from the 1950s and 1970s, and the circumstances under which the police officers have to work there for the past 30 years, have been known for a long time. But the modernization was regularly postponed, with the new Haus der Sicherheit in mind, which the officers would have shared with the North Rhine-Westphalian state police and the city council.
But the project failed after years of talks. As reported, the city council announced the cancellation, because the administration and the Deutsche Bahn could not agree on a financing scheme. The Deutsche Bahn wanted to calculate the rent in a way that would refinance the building costs within 15 years, and then reduce the rent down to local rates. The city council as the main tenant refused and suggested renting the property long-term for 23 Euro per square meter. In turn, the Bahn refused.
The disappointment is written over Wurm’s and Langenbach’s faces. „We don’t know the details of these negotiations, but the outcome does not satisfy us“, says Wurm. „It would have been a flagship project, something modern that doesn't exist often in Europe.“
Agreements could have been easier, if internal synergy effects could have been used. „If both police forces use the same lockers for their fire arms, only one team would have to look after that. The other one would have time for patrol“, says Wurm. It should not be forgotten, that Bonn has not only political, economic and international affairs, „but also crime and extremism. We don’t live in a ideal world.“
The hope for a Haus der Sicherheit isn’t complete dead yet though. But the federal police doesn’t want to rely on that. Thus they press ahead with the plan to build a new police station, first talks with the Deutsche Bahn have taken place already. „We want a short planning period and for the building to start soon.“ If all goes according to plan, the new station could be finished in 2021.
There are no concrete plans, where the police officers shall work until then. There is no space for containers, it seems, according to Wurm. Possible alternatives could be the Dienstinspektion Cologne or the police station in Siegburg. „We would patrol Bonn from there then.“ But again: The project is not guaranteed yet.
Asked by the General-Anzeiger, the Bahn did not comment on the plans. According to a spokesperson, there is no new progress.
(Original text: Ayla Jacob / Translation: Mareike Graepel)
