SEK Munster affected
Nazi chats and glorification of violence – another scandal in the NRW police
Officers from a special task force of the North Rhine-Westphalia police during an exercise in 2006
© Bernd Thissen/ / Picture Alliance
Once again, the NRW police come into focus because of alleged right-wing extremist chats by officials. The chief of police in Münster announced that she would “turn over every stone”. Eight officers were suspended.
The police in North Rhine-Westphalia is shaken by another case of a chat group with right-wing extremist content. Eight police officers are being investigated, seven of whom are still part of the special task force (SEK) in Münster. The eighth suspect is now in another authority, police chief Alexandra Dorndorf said on Friday. The chats – created between 2013 and 2018 – were apparently partly right-wing extremist, glorifying violence and sexist. The men of the SEK from Münster are between 39 and 56 years old.
Eight police officers from Munster suspended
Dorndorf promised to turn “every stone” and clear up the case completely. A total of 20 police officers were involved in the chat group, but they did not share all criminally relevant content. “Every video, every text, every picture must be evaluated. Until then, it is ensured that the accused officials will not take any action,” said Dorndorf. The content of the chat group had nothing to do with the values of the police.
According to the police, the eight suspects were suspended on Friday morning. The investigators came across the group after a case from last year. In November 2021, the police reported on a SEK officer who allegedly exchanged right-wing extremist content glorifying violence privately via a messenger service with a Bundeswehr soldier. The public prosecutor’s office in Münster examined the case, but found no criminal offense as the statements were not made public.
Münster’s chief of police, Alexandra Dorndorf
© Guido Kirchner / DPA
In the further disciplinary checks against the 38-year-old there were now indications of a chat history over the years 2013 to 2018 with 20 participants. “Not everyone was actively involved,” said Dorndorf. The Münster police initiated criminal proceedings against eight officers, all men, because of the initial suspicion. In addition, disciplinary proceedings are pending. For reasons of neutrality, the Bielefeld police and the higher state office for police training and advanced training (LAFP) are now investigating.
Not the first case in NRW
The state chairman of the police union (GdP) in North Rhine-Westphalia, Michael Mertens, said: “Right-wing extremists, xenophobic, violence-glorifying and sexist views have no place in the ranks of the police, absolutely nothing.” If the allegations are confirmed, consistent action is inevitable. “The officials in question will then finally be removed from the service and may also have to answer in court,” said the GdP head of state.
Two years ago, several chat groups were uncovered by the police in Mülheim/Ruhr, in which, among other things, pictures of Hitler or inflammatory content had been shared. At that time, however, no SEK police officers were involved.