Racist and sexist remarks Scandal in eastern Switzerland - five police students dismissed with immediate effect

The Eastern Switzerland police academy is parting ways with five trainee police officers due to racist and sexist content. They are said to have violated ethical guidelines and disseminated discriminatory content.

The Eastern Switzerland Police Concordat Ostpol is releasing five police students with immediate effect. They are alleged to have disseminated racist and sexist content in non-public areas of the Police School of Eastern Switzerland (PSO) between October and November, as Ostpol writes in a press release.

The five students come from four corps of the Eastern Switzerland Police Concordat, which includes the cantons of Appenzell Ausserrhoden and Innerrhoden, Glarus, Graubünden, St. Gallen, Thurgau, Schaffhausen, the city police forces of Chur and St. Gallen and the national police force of the Principality of Liechtenstein.

The commanders of Ostpol and the management of the PSO condemn the behavior of the five police students in the strongest possible terms, according to the press release. They are in agreement that their actions and the attitudes associated with them should have no place in the police force or the police academy.

Zero tolerance for racism

In addition, the five police students violated the PSO's school rules and the European Code of Police Ethics. Due to their misconduct, the five police students, two from the cantonal police of Graubünden and one each from the cantonal police of Thurgau, the cantonal police of St. Gallen and the municipal police of St. Gallen, will be released from their corps with immediate effect.

"There is zero tolerance for racist and sexist remarks and actions, bullying, discrimination and extremism of any kind in the Ostpol police concordat," the press release states.