By Zara Riffler
Now the “lion hunt” was suddenly declared over – because: The animal we were looking for was probably just a wild boar.
► The fact is: It was a HUGE police operation with enormous effort, which became more expensive with EVERY hour!
Because: Since Thursday morning, the police with heavily armed forces in Kleinmachnow (Brandenburg) have been looking for a lioness who is believed to be walking around freely. The reason: the video of a local resident in which an unusual animal with similar-looking outlines could be seen.
At times, up to 220 police officers as well as drones and helicopters with thermal imaging cameras have already been deployed. Even with an armored vehicle, the officers went on the search.
Officials comb through a forest near Berlin Photo: picture alliance
All this just for a wild boar?
“It quickly costs taxpayers several 100,000 euros”
Vice-Chairman of the German Police Union (DPolG), Heiko Teggatz (50), is pissed off. He clearly told BILD: “This mission is undoubtedly the most expensive safari that has ever existed in Germany’s forests!”
Police unionist Teggatz explains: “Such an operation involving helicopters, drones and several hundred emergency services quickly costs the taxpayer several 100,000 euros.”
Example: A large helicopter, including technology, personnel and maintenance, costs around 5000 euros per hour. The smaller helicopters mostly used by the countries still costs 3,000 to 4,000 euros per hour.
The money would have been “better invested in fighting clan crime,” says Teggatz.
“First of all, you should have checked whether the image material is genuine”
Teggatz on to BILD: “Possibly 100,000 euros could have fizzled out – that’s a scandal. Responsibility lies with the public order office, expressly not with the police. The police take action based on the assessment of the public order office. The police had no choice but to take the necessary measures because they had to assume that it posed a threat to the population.
Officials coordinate the lion operation into the night Photo: Spreepicture
The police unionist has a great lack of understanding for the actions of Mayor Kleinmachnow. “First of all, you should have checked whether the footage is genuine. And then you would have had to hire forensic experts immediately, who would then be able to tell whether it was a big cat or a wild boar!” says Teggatz.
“The colleagues would have had better things to do yesterday than running a mock safari,” says Teggatz.
Police operation “good and right”
Objection from Kleinmachnow’s mayor Michael Grubert (SPD). Regarding the costs, he told the press that these are “not a benchmark for our actions”.
And the CDU politician Philipp Amthor said to BILD: “The sneering about the police operation may now be great in retrospect, but in a constitutional state it is good and right for the police to also follow up unclear clues to protect the population. For the potential protection of children and adults in dangerous situations, the calculator must not be pulled out first.”