Landespolizei
[1] The Landespolizei of today can trace its origins to the late 19th century, when Germany united into a single country in 1871, under Otto von Bismarck.
Various towns and cities also maintained police forces, as the increasing number of new laws and regulations made controlling urban life more complicated.
[4] After World War II, massive numbers of refugees and displaced persons, hunger and poverty characterised everyday life in Germany.
Attacks by armed gangs, robbery, looting and black-marketing were commonplace, and the military police could not cope with this troubling security situation.
In addition, the botched hostage rescue attempt at Munich Olympic Massacre,[5] as well as rise in organized crime and terrorism (Red Army Faction, Revolutionary Cells) proved that certain police functions necessitated central rather than local direction, thus the western state police forces underwent significant reforms in the 1970s.
The length and thoroughness of this training contributes in large degree to the high level of police professionalism in Germany.
Teaching all aspects of police work takes time but supports a "uniform career structure" that aims to avoid premature specialization, lets officers think in broad terms, makes career field changes easier and improves promotion opportunities.
Police departments in big cities are especially keen to recruit officers from ethnic minorities to reduce language and cultural barriers.
The proportion of women on patrol duty is set to rise as 40-50 percent of police school inductees are currently female.
After duty as a patrol officer, someone with an outstanding record or wealth of experience can go on to two or three years at a higher police school or college of public administration to qualify for the upper echelon which starts with Polizeikommissar (one silver star) and ascends to Erster Polizeihauptkommissar (five silver stars).
Some states such as Hessen now train all their police officers for the upper echelon to improve pay and promotion chances.
The DHPol that the states and Federal Interior Ministry administer jointly also provides specialized vocational courses for senior police personnel.
However, due to its breech-locking design, it was difficult to manufacture, thus driving up the price, and ended up being adopted only by Baden-Württemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate forces.
From 1945 all German police forces wore different coloured uniforms, but beginning in the mid-seventies the police of all West German Länder and West Berlin wore the same uniform that Heinz Oestergaard designed most parts of in the early seventies.
Vehicle markings were also redesigned to conform to a white and green livery with the legend "Polizei" in bold lettering.
In line with the uniforms, police vehicles and various items of equipment also changed their main color to blue.
