Germany's Water Police Maintain the Eldest Boat Fleet in the Country, According to Berlin Reports
Take a Sail over Berlin's Waters with an Outdated Fleet
Navigating the daily waters of crime, surveillance, and rescues, the Berlin Water Police's crews pilot Stormy Seagull, Sea Eagle, and more. Embracing approximately 200 kilometers of waterways, the district's boats, 57 years old on average, are the officers' trusted vessels.
Promises, promises! In 2023, the coalition agreement between the Berlin Police and CDU-SPD declared the acquisition of a fresh steel boat annually from 2024 onwards. However, their vessel-building budget has sailed off course, with no new boat gracing the Berlin waters in 2024, nor planned for 2025. The culprit? A disappointing lack of funds in the Senate Administration of the Interior's wallet.
Our current Water Police fleet boasts 16 boats, including some vintage beauties from 1968/69 - the oldest in action among fellow Federal Republic water police vessels.
Adding to the headlines, Police Director René Behrendt confirmed the fleet's aged glory during a June 2023 Interior Committee meeting. He expressed the dire need to swap the rusted vessels due to the unavailability of standard, off-the-shelf replacements. The price tag? At least 2.5 million euros per boat, leaving boat-related budget lines feeling light in the wallet. With prices on the rise, more coin is required to procure the new workhorses of the sea. "With limited shipyard capacity, a gradual renewal is necessary," Behrendt cautioned.
Our Water Police force has embraced a thrifty three-tier acquisition approach for three decades. The strategy covers large steel boats as police patrol boats, agile RIBs (rigid-hulled inflatable boats) and BOS Watercrafts (jet bikes or jet skis) that marked the Havel and Spree rivers with their debut at the end of 2023 (costing around 120,000 euros).
Electric Boats: Lights Out for Now
Two years ago, internal discussions arose about altering or penny-pinching boat standards, favoring maintenance-intensive, wallet-friendly steel in hopes of cutting costs. The new boats will be expected to serve for about 30 years. Unfortunately, an electric boat option joined the underdog team, stymied by impractical battery requirements too gargantuan for a vessel of this size. However, a popular boat has made a splash as a cost-effective hybrid model (costing around 50,000 euros).
Berlin Water Police patrols the waters from three bases:
► West (Spandau) - Keeping watch over the Havel (above and below the Freybrucke), Tegeler See, Spandauer Schifffahrtskanal up to Schleuse Ploetzensee, Griebnitzkanal, Jungfernsee, Glienicker Lake, Teltowkanal up to Dreilinden
► Mitte (Moabit) - Manning the Spree from Oberbaumbrücke to Schleuse Charlottenburg, Landwehrkanal, Westhafenkanal, Humboldthafen, Charlottenburger Verbindungskanal
► Ost (Treptow), since 1937 - Patrolling the Spree up to Oberbaumbrücke, Rummelsburger See, Müggelsee, Dahme, Teltowkanal up to Zehlendorf, Britzer Zweigkanal, Neuköllner Schifffahrtskanal
Despite the shifting tides, no forecast of change has been made. "The 2026/2027 double budget governance remains incomplete," shared Interior State Secretary Christian Hochgrebe (52, SPD).
"Waterways and lakes are increasingly becoming playgrounds for reckless, high-powered drivers, jeopardizing their own safety and others," says Stephan Weh (47), head of the police union in the state. "For the Berlin Police to remain a modern capital force on the waters, investments must continue."
"The Berlin Police, in their coalition agreement with CDU-SPD in 2023, anticipated acquiring fresh steel boats annually from 2024, aiming to improve their fleet's finance and efficiency."
"However, due to the lack of funds in the Senate Administration of the Interior's budget, the purchase of these new boats has been delayed, leaving the Berlin Water Police with their current vintage fleet, including some from as far back as 1968/69."
