police germany
Are German Police allowed to ask about private contact information?
<p>This question is based on a story that happened a couple of days ago.</p>
<p>Two friends and I were walking outside. Right now, in Germany there are strict regulations about the number of persons and households that are allowed to meet together. So, as we were seen from a police car passing by, the car stopped and two officers went towards us.</p>
<p>One of us, a friend who didn't want any contact with the police, instantly ran away, which was seen by the officers. They didn't try to chase him. They then stopped us and started to ask questions about the friend who escaped. Seems like the fact of us gathering wasn't a problem at all, compared to the fact that one person escaped from them.</p>
<p>We told that we were just hanging around as friends, after which the officers asked if we could call our buddy and ask why he ran away and if he could get back. We told that his phone is dead, after which we should prove it to the police by calling him. After a failed call, police asked us to provide them the contact information, which we obviously had, because we tried to call him.</p>
<p>We were let go after police got our IDs but it just doesn't feel right that they tricked us to get the phone number of our friend who escaped. I understand that it was our own fault, that we responded to the question if we could call him, but could we just refuse to call him or answer any of their questions in that situation?</p>
<p>Were the officers even allowed to ask if we could call him or to ask us to show our phones to them, so they could get the contact information?</p>

<p>From the German lawyer association (&quot;Deutscher Anwaltverein&quot;) one can find the <a href="https://anwaltauskunft.de/magazin/gesellschaft/strafrecht-polizei/was-darf-die-polizei-bei-einer-personenkontrolle?full=1" rel="noreferrer">following</a> (Google-translation):</p>
<blockquote>
<p>In the case of a purely preventive identity check, the officers are initially only allowed to determine the identity of the respondent. This means that you can ask for your name, date and place of birth, home address and nationality and have your ID shown - by the way, as a German citizen you don't have to always have your ID with you.</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p>&quot;You don't have to answer any questions beyond that,&quot; says lawyer Robert Hotstegs from the German Lawyers' Association (DAV). Of course, police officers often try to gather more information with emphatically casual questions. &quot;Well, where do we come from&quot; or: &quot;And where are we going now?&quot; Are typical examples. The police are not allowed to insist on an answer. Anyone who, as a respondent, is voluntarily too willing to provide information can harm themselves and possibly even give rise to concrete suspicions.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>So they are allowed to ask such things, but you don't need to answer everything.</p>
<p>How to handle such situations, again according to the link above:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“I recommend answering the survey as briefly and politely as possible. This has a de-escalating effect and helps to end the unpleasant situation as quickly as possible, ”says Attorney Hotstegs.</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p>However, you should always answer the questions about yourself. Because if the police cannot determine the identity of a person or only with great effort, they may take further measures to determine the identity. This includes taking it to the police station and, under certain circumstances, a search. Otherwise, these measures are not permitted without a specific reason.</p>
</blockquote>
