Healing frayed ties in Germany

Social worker Wangare Greiner, second from left, helps German police instructors to be more understanding of African immigrants.

Program lets police, African immigrants share grievances

By Alex Quade
CNN

FRANKFURT, Germany (CNN) -- The police car is a symbol of fear and frustration for African immigrants in Germany.

"The moment they see you're an African, you're a suspect," one immigrant says.

German police agree there's a problem but say there is misunderstanding on both sides.

And so to bridge language and cultural differences, the state of Hessen has brought a Kenyan-born social worker to the police academy.

Her job is to reduce confrontations through a special program that trains police instructors.

"We have learned there are prejudices on both sides, and therefore we have to integrate in our training all the police but also the migrants," says Hessen Police Academy Director Alfred Kayser.

Adds social worker Wangare Greiner: "We want a change in the society, and that can only happen if both sides see there is a problem."

To learn about the other side, police instructors go to the African community to talk with leaders, businessmen and students -- providing face-to-face opportunities to share grievances.

Police want to see more Africans on the force; Africans relate bad police experiences from their homeland.

"In the training, I learned how (the immigrants) live, how they eat, how they cook, (who) their friends (are)," says Hessen police instructor Joerg Thumann. "And I think after the training it's good for me, if I have another negative situation with them, that the policeman can better do the job."

That's the kind of solution both sides promise to work on together -- to prevent a confrontation neither side wants.

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