The police in North Rhine-Westphalia are getting new patrol cars! Models from Ford and Mercedes Benz are coming. They will replace the BMW previously used. The Gelsenkirchen police will also gradually replace the old vehicles with the new models. For the first time, officers had a say in the selection of the new patrol cars and were able to test the vehicles for their suitability in advance. A total of 2200 new vehicles will be purchased in North Rhine-Westphalia. They should offer officers more space and be more comfortable in daily use.
Also new are the so-called "bodycams", which officers on operational duty will be using from now on. The body cameras are intended to help defuse critical situations on patrol and thus protect police officers from assaults. The cameras have already been tested in other police authorities. The devices do not permanently record operations but must be actively switched on by the officers. The recordings are stored for 14 days and then deleted unless they are used as evidence. The use of the bodycam makes the officers' actions more transparent and the preservation of evidence easier.