Berlin – A left-wing extremist was a caretaker for the Berlin police for several months – at the headquarters of the special forces in Lichterfelde, of all places. In the office on Augustaplatz, among other things, the SEK and the reconnaissance staff, who, as civil servants, mingle with May Day demos, for example, to observe who is ammunitioning themselves with cobblestones.
According to information from the Berliner Zeitung, the 54-year-old caretaker started working in the office in July of this year. He was also responsible for the building on Ringbahnstrasse, where the new anti-terror center is currently being built.
A few days ago he was caught smoking weed on the Augustaplatz site. During the investigation that the police started, it turned out that the caretaker is listed as a criminal under the heading “PMK – Links” (Politically Motivated Crime Links). According to this newspaper, the 54-year-old was employed by a service provider with whom the state-owned Berlin Immobilienmanagement GmbH, which manages the police properties, has a contract. According to a spokesman for the authorities, the Berlin police carried out a so-called background check based on the personal details presented. It is unclear why the “PMK-Links” entry was not noticed.
The police spokesman said the man had been banned from entering the house with immediate effect. “The access keys were of course withdrawn immediately.”
“An incident that cannot be beaten in terms of embarrassment”
There was already a similar security incident in 2018. In December of that year, it emerged that a left-wing extremist sentenced to imprisonment was able to move freely in two criminal police objects in Brunnenstrasse and Invalidenstrasse in Mitte. He worked as a moving helper. Riot police had recognized him on the premises.
The renewed safety margin at the Berlin police triggers outrage. When asked, Benjamin Jendro from the police union spoke of an unbelievable incident that could hardly be beaten in terms of embarrassment. “We are talking about a department with highly sensitive activities and units for which anonymity is vital.” The case shows how incomplete the mandatory security check is. “In addition, Berlin’s politicians must finally understand that we need our own facility management for the police and other state properties in order to work with our own people, create closer ties and prevent exactly that.”
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