Kriminalpolizei, often abbreviated as Kripo, is the German name for a criminal investigation department. This article deals with the criminal investigation departments of Nazi Germany.
Contents
- Central organization
- Mission
- Activities
- Field Organization 19391943
- Field Organization 19431945
- Personnel
- Junior Criminal Investigation Career
- Executive Criminal Investigation Career
- Female Criminal Investigation Career
- Grade and pay
- References
The Kripo consisted of the Reichskriminalpolizeiamt, later Amt V of the Reichssicherheitshauptamt, and its directly subordinated criminal investigation centers (Kripo-Leitstellen and Kripo-Stellen), as well as the criminal investigation divisions of the local state (Staatliche Kriminalabteilungen) and municipal police departments (Gemeindekriminalpolizeiabteilungen). In 1943 both the latter became directly subordinated to the criminal investigation centers. The personnel consisted of detectives in the Junior Criminal Investigation Career, the Executive Criminal Investigation Career, and the Female Criminal Investigation Career.
Central organization
In July 1936, the Prussian central criminal investigation department (Landeskriminalpolizeiamt) became the central criminal investigation department for Germany, and was known as the Reichskriminalpolizeiamt. It was merged, along with the secret state police department, the Geheime Staatspolizei or Gestapo into the Sicherheitspolizei (SiPo). They were placed under a centralized command office known as the Hauptamt Sicherheitspolizei. At that point, Reinhard Heydrich was in overall command of the SiPo, the Hauptamt Sicherheitspolizei and the Sicherheitsdienst (SD). Arthur Nebe was appointed head of the Reichskriminalpolizeiamt, and reported to Heydrich.
In September 1939, the Reichssicherheitshauptamt (RSHA) was created as the overarching command organization for the various state investigation and security agencies. The Hauptamt Sicherheitspolizei was officially abolished and its departments were folded into the RSHA. The Reichskriminalpolizeiamt became Amt V (Department 5), in the RSHA. It was commanded by Nebe until 1944, when he was denounced and executed subsequent to the failed 20 July plot to kill Adolf Hitler. In the last year of its existence, Amt V was commanded by Friedrich Panzinger.
Mission
The mission of Amt V was to:
Activities
In 1945 Amt V had the following bureaus:
Field Organization 1939–1943
Towns with over 10,000 residents having a municipal police department were obliged to have a municipal criminal investigation division - Gemeindekriminalpolizeiabteilung. It was supervised by the nearest Kripo-Stelle.
Field Organization 1943–1945
From 1943 all municipal criminal investigation divisions with over ten detectives, i.e. mainly in towns with over 50,000 inhabitants, were transferred to the state criminal police. Local state criminal investigations divisions were hencefort not subordinated to the local state police commissioner.
In 1944 there were 22 Kripo-Leitstellen with 150-250 detectives under an Oberregierungs- und Kriminalrat; 44 Kripo-Stellen with 80-120 detectives under a Regierungs- und Kriminalrat or Kriminaldirektor; and 698 Kripo-Aussendienstellen and Kripo-Aussenpost, of which the latter per definition had less than ten detectives.
Personnel
There were two separate detective careers: the junior criminal investigation career (einfacher Vollzugsdienst) and the executive criminal investigation career (leitender Vollzugsdienst). There were also a female criminal investigation career (weibliche Kriminalpolizei).
Junior Criminal Investigation Career
A detective trainee had to be a policeman in the Ordnungspolizei or a soldier in the Waffen-SS with the rank of SS-Unterscharführer or above, having served at least 4 ½ years, and not be older than 24 years. The Kriminalassistentanwärter (detecitve trainee) began his training as an intern for 12 months, followed by a 12 months course at the Kriminalfachschule (Criminal investigation college) in Berlin-Charlottenburg. After the college came a 12 months period as probationary detective (Kriminalassistent aus Probe). First employment was as apl. Kriminalassistent (supernumerary detective) until a billet was free and he could be appointed to a permanent position as Kriminalassistent.
Executive Criminal Investigation Career
Externally recruited senior detective trainees (Kriminalkommissaranwärter) must have taken the general university entrance exam (Abitur) and been selected through a special selection procedure (Ausleselager). Internally recruited senior detective trainees came from the lower ranks of the Ordnungspolizei or from the junior criminal investigation career. They were selected through a civil service exam. The training began with a 12 months internship, followed by a 9 months course at the Führerschule der Sicherheitspolizei in Berlin-Charlottenburg. The trainee was then promoted to Hilfskriminalkommissar; normally he was within a few days given a six months probationary appointment as Kriminalkommissar auf Probe, before being promoted to außerplanmäßigen Kriminalkommissar as a supernumerary.
Female Criminal Investigation Career
According to regulations issued by the RSHA in 1940, women that had been trained in social work or having a similar education could be hired as female detectives. Female youth leaders, lawyers, business administrators with experience in social work, female leaders in the Reichsarbeitsdienst and personnel administrators in the Bund Deutscher Mädel were hired as detectives after a one-year course if they had several years professional experience. Later also nurses, kindergarten teachers and trained female commercial employees with an aptitude for police work were hired as female detecives after a two-year course. After two years as Kriminaloberassistentin promotion to Kriminalsekretärin could take place, after another two or three years in that grade the female detective could be promoted to Kriminalobersekretärin. Further promotions to Kriminalkommissarin and Kriminalrätin was also possible.
Grade and pay
Mean annual pay for an industrial worker was 1,459 Reichsmark in 1939, and for a privately employed white-collar worker 2,772 Reichsmark.