German Police Patrol Without Pants to Protest Uniform Shortage

German police are facing a serious shortage of uniforms — the war in Ukraine is blamed — and officers protesting inaction from the top have gone trouserless to make the point.

The Bavarian branch of the Deutsche Polizeigewerkschaft (German Police Trade Union, DPolG) is protesting a long term supply issue for their member officers which has left them unable to draw on replacement items of uniform, or newly commissioned police officers to get a full issue of uniform at all. According to the union some 21 regulation items including trousers, jackets, and hats are subject to a wait time of several months.

The Russian invasion against Ukraine impacting supply chains has been blamed by the Bavarian Ministry of Interior, but critics state the issue goes back to the Covid era, predating the latest phase in Moscow’s war.

Creatively making the point that police officers are struggling with the lack of uniform clothing, the DPolG published a humorous video showing two police officers talking in a car before getting out to start their patrol, without their uniform trousers. In the short, one officer asks the other: “so, how long have you been waiting?”, and they discuss four to six month waits for uniform items.

The union said while the situation may sound like “the worst April Fool’s joke ever”, their officers are “literally left without pants”. Calling on the state government to intervene, DPolG said it was time to take action even if it meant spending money, reflecting: “what kind of impression is created, especially among those starting out in the profession, when they cannot be fully clothed”.

The Bavarian government said it is considering bringing uniform procurement back in-house from a private contractor, and in the meanwhile if an officer finds themselves without the correct trousers for duty, then they can “of course use other models of trousers” in the meanwhile.