The Berlin police are preparing for a possible “blackout” in Germany with a three-stage plan. This emerges from a report in the “Welt”. Accordingly, the State Police Directorate and the State Criminal Police Office are forging an operational concept in order to be prepared for a possible supply failure.
The plan consists of the following three stages:
According to the “Welt” report, this stage has already occurred according to the police. The police see the security situation as impaired by the fact that there could be increasing demonstrations and marches. The more people feel the effects of high prices, the greater the likelihood that crime will increase.
The shortage is about electricity and gas becoming scarce. Then the federal government would organize the distribution and ration the supply. The result: people could no longer heat fully. Companies would have to shut down production if necessary. According to “Welt”, the police in Berlin currently consider this to be a likely scenario.
The third stage is currently the most unlikely. Recently, however, there have been increasing indications that the power grids might no longer be stable if there was an unusual load in winter.
However, a blackout would have the most far-reaching consequences. Darkness and dwindling supplies could significantly increase crime. In this case, the police expect looting and unrest.
In the mission paper, forecasts are formulated as to how the security situation could change in the event of an event. According to “Welt”, concepts are then drawn up as to how the police could react in the best possible way. An example: In the event of a power failure, it is already being checked to what extent the police in Berlin have emergency power generators. The police have also bought satellite cell phones and fuel tanks.
The “Welt” quotes a police spokesman as saying that it is the task of the officers to “think security-relevant scenarios and to plan and prepare for their management”. There are such concepts for many cases: terrorist attacks, power outages, pandemics. Such a plan was last used in the attack on the Christmas market at Breitscheidplatz in 2016.
The current concept is still a draft. According to the “Welt” report, however, it could be sent to the Berlin police departments as early as the end of September.
