VoPo Manual

[Arkaidiyh]

"Schlag nach fur Volkspolizisten" (Reference for police officers) is just what the title states.  Published in 1972 by the Interior Ministry this was apparently the standard manual for Volkspolizisten to guide them in their everyday work and duties.  Much of the manual will be familiar to most law enforcement officers anywhere and deals with such routine topics as conduct of officers, traffic control, criminal and arrest procedures, first aid, traffic accident procedures, dealing with juveniles, etc.  What most Western officers will find interesting is the excruciating detail, often committed to diagrams for decision making for Volkspolizisten for even the most basic law enforcement situations. There are also sections on such topics as "Protection of Animals" and "Dealing with Foreigners."   After I got past the heavy odor of stale cigarette smoke that permeated the pages (this must have been the station copy) I found this thing fascinating.  

[Rakkasan187]

Brings back memories of driving around East Berlin in the mid 80s. VOPOs everywhere..

 

Leigh 

[SARGE]

What a neat VP manual.  Chock full of great information.

 

 

[Arkaidiyh]

1 hour ago, SARGE said:

What a neat VP manual.  Chock full of great information.

 

 

I know right!  Aside from being an old retired soldier, I also served with local law enforcement here in the Fayetteville area for 24 years after retiring from the Army.  I don't know why I was surprised that so much of the DVP's duties were as routine as any other LE agency but apparently they were.   BTW, I am REALLY enjoying and learning from your detailed posts and encyclopedic knowledge of MdI / DVP and other subjects.  I'm sure I speak for many other members.  THANK YOU!

 

Scott Samson, US Army (Ret)

                          Fayetteville PD (Ret)

                          Cumberland County S.O. (Ret)

[SARGE]

Thanks Scott.  I am retired from my local police agency as well.  A lot of police collectors seem to be retired law enforcement.  

 

As to the East German Police, I was in Berlin just after the fall of the wall and did a ride-along with the newly united Berlin Police.  They were trying to retrain the VP guys and they could not answer calls until they had completed a retraining course.  They had the ex-VP policemen posted as traffic police so the Ost- guys were not happy campers at this assignment and of course managed to get into various forms of minor trouble due to complaints from the public.  I also recall going into the Dresden Police main station and trading patches with a fellow.  They were still wearing their DDR uniforms with new patches so his trading patch was a Volkspolizei one that he had cut off his shirt.  Fine with me but new patches were limited while these guys drove old Trabant cars and used up old equipment in a wear out period. 

 

One man's trash is another man's treasure.

 

George

 

[Arkaidiyh]

Wow!  That must have been interesting.  I was an EOD guy.  Back in the 80s I had a Berlin detective (Kriminalkommisar) in my class when I got to do the German Police IED course (BKA Lehrgang fur die entscharfung unkonvensionaler brand und sprengfvorrichtungen) ... forgive the spelling I'm sure I'm rusty after all these years.  Had a great time over there.  Spent almost all of the 80s in Germany.