Special task force gone astray: discriminatory police chat

The Bremen Police Special Operations Command (SEK) apparently had an internal chat group with sexist and generally discriminatory content for a long time. The Bremen police confirmed the relevant information from a whistleblower; two SEK officers were transferred.

“The contents that have become known are statements and representations that are not acceptable to the Bremen police,” said a police spokesman when asked. Two “colleagues from the SEK” were transferred to other areas of the Bremen police after the examination. In addition, disciplinary investigations were initiated against all members of the chat group.

The Interior Senator is said to have been informed on the same day that the police leadership became aware of the chat, according to the Interior Department. The content was immediately checked for criminal consequences; Apparently they were not classified as criminally relevant and the public prosecutor's office has not yet been involved. But they don't appear harmless to the authorities either: "The content of this chat group violates people's dignity," said Interior Senator Eva Högl (SPD). “This is shameful and unacceptable.”

The Bremen police acted decisively and “did the right thing,” continued Högl. Further disciplinary action against members of the chat group would be considered. The Senator for the Interior, as she writes herself, is closely following the investigation and every contribution and every participation is scrutinized.

The police and the interior authorities have so far held back from providing information: There is no information yet on how many members the group had, what the specific content was and whether further disciplinary measures were already in progress. When and by whom the group was exposed and how quickly the police department made the decision to transfer two employees is also not disclosed.

This may also be because the command affected is the Bremen special operations command. The SEKs of the states are the elite police units. They were founded as a result of the 1972 Olympic attack in Munich - they are intended to be used in crises: during hostage-taking or terrorist attacks, but also when arresting particularly dangerous criminals.

The structure of the SEK in Bremen is largely secret: it is not disclosed how many members the special operations command has or how many missions they have to handle annually. When the citizens dealt with the SEK at the beginning of 2026 because the on-call service had ceased there, the answers about the organizational structure were only given to the MPs confidentially. Ultimately, publicly known “information on operational levels, operational availability and operational tactics (…) could endanger the functionality of the police,” the reason given was.

So far, the sections of the public who could monitor the executive branch have not been informed by the authorities: the media only discovered this through an anonymous tip-off; The taz was also contacted and the chat group was discovered by the police at the end of August.

The citizens' representatives also only became aware of the existence of the chat group through media reports. The SPD MP Kevin Lenkeit explained his lack of understanding to the Weser-Kurier; The deputy spokesman for the Interior Deputation has submitted a list of questions for the next regular meeting of the committee, which will probably be dealt with in a confidential meeting.

Police Commissioner Sermin Riedel has not yet been brought on board either. “I see it quite critically,” says Riedel. “One of the responsible bodies should have involved me early on.” After all, it can be assumed from the start that she will examine the complex.

The position of independent police and fire department commissioner was introduced in Bremen in 2022; The institution also promoted the exposure of sexist structures and bullying at the Bremen fire department in this form. According to the law, one of the tasks of the commissioners is to “recognize errors and misconduct in individual cases that suggest a violation of the rule of law or freedom from discrimination (…)”, but also “to ensure that they are remedied and not repeated by means of advice and recommendations”.

The disciplinary review of individual misconduct is now a matter for the police leadership - what is crucial is that this is “carried out with priority, with due care and in a reasonable time.” At the same time, it is important and sensible to “look at the structures around it,” says Riedel. After all, the chat group was apparently able to exist undetected for a long time.