• Germany edition
Photo: DPA

Cop patrolled 22 years without driver's license

Published: 27 Jan 12 10:37 CET
Online: http://www.thelocal.de/society/20120127-40375.html

Criminal charges have been filed against a policeman in the eastern German state of Saxony-Anhalt who allegedly drove patrol cars for more than 20 years without a proper driver's license, officials have revealed.

According to the regional Volksstimme newspaper, the officer in Magdeburg apparently believed that a license allowing him to drive a tractor and motorcycle sufficed for police cars too.

The 22-year veteran was discovered while trying to renew his certification recently, the newspaper reported.

A police spokesman explained that the officer had joined the force just before the reunification of Germany in 1990.

Because most police patrols in communist East Germany were done on foot, apparently no-one ever thought to check whether he had a proper licence, even when he began driving.

“Those were pretty wild times and it must have slipped through,” police spokesman Andreas von Koß told the Volksstimme.

The officer has been reassigned to office duty while administrative and criminal investigations are underway, von Koß said.

He is also said to have driven a private vehicle without a licence.

The Local/mdm

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Your comments about this article:

11:50 January 27, 2012 by raandy
I couldn't care less.
11:56 January 27, 2012 by kohcherp
(from article)

?"Those where pretty wild times and it must have slipped through,?" police spokesman Andreas von Koß told the Volksstimme.

.. those were wild times, i assume. some proof reading please?
13:23 January 27, 2012 by Joshontour
"According to the regional Volksstimme newspaper, the 22-year-old officer ..."

If he's been an officer for 22 years, yet he's only 22-years-old as the story claims, there should be no wonder as to why he didn't have a license when he started. He couldn't even see over the steering wheel.
13:24 January 27, 2012 by zeddriver
Talk about proof reading.

The 22 year old officer has been driving for 20 years without a proper license. Boy! they sure start early in the east. Probably drove without a license because he couldn't see over the counter to take the eye test. : )
14:35 January 27, 2012 by rutledm
Joshontour and zeddriver....read the story boys...it doesn't say "22 year old.." it say's "22 year veteran..."
15:24 January 27, 2012 by zeddriver
@rutledm

They changed the article after posting it.

Hey Local! Thanks for making us look like idiots.
15:44 January 27, 2012 by Thekla
It was the Wild East back in those days. This doesn't surprise me a bit----it was a great time.
16:38 January 27, 2012 by rmsbl4
Notice how they made the correction without updating the time line. It makes some of the commentors look like a holes
16:52 January 27, 2012 by zeddriver
@rmsbl4

I certainly don't need The Locals help in that department.

According to my wife I'm fully capable of looking like an idiot all by myself.
20:16 January 27, 2012 by Nemo2010
If he's been driving for 20 years without a license, and it would seem obious without an accident if he's never been caught up, what the hey, give him a written test and let him go on!
20:32 January 27, 2012 by lordkorner
For me its a Licence.
17:33 January 28, 2012 by Joshontour
hey rutledm... I'm too lazy to type that all out... that was copy and paste my friend.
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