German police officers have been taking part in missions since 1989. While in the early years only police officers from the former Federal Border Guard were deployed, the federal states have been participating in international police missions since 1994. From the very beginning, police officers from NRW were deployed and also took on leadership roles from the very first mission. To date, thousands of officers have been deployed under the mandates of the United Nations, the European Union, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and the Western European Union.
Typical tasks in the mission areas are:- training and further training of the local police,
- advice on the development of the local police,
- monitoring of multinational agreements,
- strategic advice to the police management level,
- advice at ministerial level,
- Advisory services in the fight against crime and traffic accidents.
Police officers from NRW are currently involved in various international missions, for example in the Caucasus or on the African continent. Police officers from NRW also work at various external EU borders under the mandate of Frontex.
The preparation of police officers has been continuously optimized over the years. It usually takes a year from the initial idea to take part in an international police mission to deployment. As one of three German training institutes, the Department of International Assignments of the State Office for Training, Further Training and Personnel Affairs of the NRW Police (LAFP NRW) prepares police officers for their tasks abroad in various training courses. Through bilateral agreements, colleagues from various neighboring countries are now also trained for their missions at the LAFP NRW in Brühl.
Important requirements for mission applicants are:- the health suitability to serve in a difficult environment,
- excellent foreign language skills (English or French),
- a minimum period of service of eight years (including training),
- excellent communication and teamwork skills.
The selection procedure is carried out at the LAFP NRW in Brühl, Department of Foreign Assignments. The procedure is divided into a language test, a sports test and a structured interview. If medically fit, the two-week English-language basic preparation takes place, followed by one to four weeks of mission-specific preparation for the deployment.
The prerequisites for the deployment of North Rhine-Westphalian police officers are a decision by the mandate provider (e.g. UN, EU, OSCE), the cabinet decision of the Federal Government and the approval of the participation of the federal states by the Conference of Interior Ministers.
From the very beginning, NRW has played a prominent role in comparison with the other federal states. NRW has consistently provided the largest contingent of personnel among the federal states. Police officers from NRW often perform elementary functions in the missions. The LAFP NRW's Foreign Deployment Department is certified by the United Nations and the European Union and is also increasingly preparing international police officers for deployment abroad.
