From left, Polizei Director Franz-Josef Brandt, Capt. John-Paul Adrian, Polizeihauptkommissar Simon Mai, and Lt. Col. Jason Sleger, are pictured with the law enforcement award the two police agencies recently received for their joint policing efforts in the Kaiserslautern, Germany, area. Adrian and Sleger are with the 569th U.S. Police Squadron. (Photo courtesy of Polizeipraesidum Westpfal)
KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany — A U.S. military police unit and the German police department it works with in the Kaiserslautern Military Community are the first international partnership to receive a prestigious law enforcement award for their joint policing efforts, officials said.
The 569th U.S. Forces Police Squadron at Vogelweh and the Polizeipraesidum Westpfalz in Kaiserslautern were honored at a ceremony in San Diego earlier this month, where representatives from both units were presented with the 2016 Civilian Law Enforcement — Military Cooperation Award from the International Association of Chiefs of Police and American Military University.
The award recognizes the close cooperation between civilian and military law enforcement agencies in developing innovative joint efforts that promote public safety for both military and civilian communities, organizers said.
Being recognized by the IACP — a professional law enforcement association with worldwide members — is “an extreme honor” for the 569th and its German counterparts, said Capt. John-Paul Adrian, 569th operations officer.
“It really kind of validates and underscores ... the fantastic working relationship that we have, not just within the police organizations but across the board between the SOFA (Status of Forces Agreement) community and our host nation Germans,” he said.
The 569th is the primary U.S. military law enforcement liaison with the German police, responding to any off-base incidents involving members of the Defense Department community over an area extending about 1,100 square miles, Adrian said.
Some of their most visible policing efforts occur every weekend, in the evening hours in Kaiserslautern’s downtown bar district. Since the joint foot patrols began about two years ago, there has been a significant drop in assaults and other crimes, Adrian said.
The award citation mentioned this achievement, noting the two police agencies partnered to combat violence in the Kaiserslautern Bar District. It also singled out their joint work to curb a spree of burglaries and assist with emergency services shortfalls due to demands on the German police force from the European refugee crisis.
Christiane Lautenschläger, a spokeswoman for Kaiserslautern police, didn’t have details on the extent of the burglaries and emergency services shortfalls. But she said Friday that local police and U.S. military police work together almost every day, from responding to small car accidents to burglaries and other crimes.
“Whenever there is an American involved, most likely German and American police will work together,” she said. “There is great mutual support.”
Marcus Kloeckner contributed to this report.
