Germany: These cars never have to go to the TÜV

Erlangen police mechanics give an insight into the blue light workshop

Germany: These cars never have to go to the TÜV

Erlangen/Erlangen-Höchstadt district – 250 police vehicles are regularly checked in the workshop of the Erlangen police station. The boss is an old hand, about mileage, bodily fluids, two discontinued models and whether it is worth auctioning off a decommissioned police car.

The longer you talk to Roland Nägel, the more you realize that the material for an entire television series is actually lying dormant here in the courtyard of the Erlangen-Stadt police station. “The Blue Light Screwdrivers: Alarm on Lift Platform 5” – it would definitely be a ratings hit.

But also a little over the top, Roland Nägel is a calm and relaxed guywho is not easily thrown off course. This is probably because he has seen a lot in his 25 years as a police officer. Since 2006, he has been the manager of the police’s own car repair shop in Erlangen.

The 62-year-old is standing next to wrenches and pliers that are lined up on the wall. Everything looks like a normal car repair shop. The only thing that stands out is the police crest on a cabinet – and the patrol car with the open hood.

His grey work coat exudes expertise. Nägel is an electrical engineer and automotive expert. He used to head the telecommunications and radio workshop at the headquarters in Nuremberg. He works on custom-made products such as the charging concept for the second battery, which is now in use throughout Bavaria, or on a frame for attaching the surveillance camera in the motorway police car.

It sounds a bit like Mr. “Q,” the gifted engineer of 007 agent James Bond. That is certainly an apt description, says Walter Müller, grinning. The head of the vehicle management department in the presidium stands next to the workshop manager, who is visibly a little uncomfortable with the praise. “We benefit greatly from Mr. Nägel’s expertise,” says Müller. Both have been colleagues for a long time.

The Middle Franconia Police operates three of its own car repair shops

The headquarters operates three workshops in Middle Franconia: in Nuremberg, Ansbach and Erlangen. The latter is responsible for around 170 vehicles belonging to the Erlangen city and state departments, Herzogenaurach and Höchstadt, as well as the local criminal and traffic police. Around 80 cars belonging to our colleagues in Fürth are also serviced.

“It ranges from e-bikes to Sprinter or Crafter class,” says Müller. Normal bicycles and five police motorcycles are also serviced and repaired. “These are highly stressed vehicles,” says Müller. The traffic police cars are the ones that are used the hardest. The motorway police drive around 50,000 kilometers a year, patrol cars up to 40,000. The average German driver drives around 12,000 kilometers a year.

The focus is on the tires: “They are pushed to their physical limits. Everything has to be right,” says Müller. Huge quantities are stored in the workshop’s basement. Around a thousand winter tires are fitted before the cold season.

High power requirements for patrol cars

The main difference to private cars is the power requirement, explains Nägel. Blue lights, stop signals, radio, cell phones and navigation devices with a connection to the operations center: “These are power consumers that the average driver is not aware of,” says Müller. That’s why police cars are equipped with a second battery. The patrol cars do not have to undergo a MOT. As a vehicle expert, the workshop manager carries out the prescribed main inspections.

In addition to Nägel, who is a police officer, nine employees are part of the workshop team. The three automotive mechatronics engineers Reinhold Kress, Antonios Pispilis and Stefan Großkopf take care of the vehicle technology. They are employees, not police officers. The police are a sensitive area, which is why trainees are carefully checked for their good reputation beforehand, says Müller.

Car cleaners keep the police cars clean

In addition to two office workers, there are several car cleaners. An important job, explains the fleet manager. They receive the cars after the shift, ask the officers about anything unusual, check for damage and keep the cars clean. The interior occasionally becomes dirty from human sources. Contamination with bodily fluids is cleaned by a specialist company because of the risk of infection.

Patrol cars are simultaneously a tool, a workplace and a showcase for the police. “They have to be neat and clean and present a corresponding image to the public,” says Müller. One special feature: Only the police workshop in Erlangen has its own car wash.

A police car with scratches or dents? One where the foil is coming off? Unthinkable. The blue and white foils with lettering are delivered ready for the respective model and applied in the workshop.

VW bus is a discontinued model for the police

Speaking of models: The classic model in the police fleet – the VW Transporter – is being phased out, as the new VW bus is smaller than its predecessor. “VW no longer serves the segment that we need,” says Müller. Replacements will probably come from Ford and Mercedes. That will be decided by the colleagues in vehicle procurement in Würzburg.

The VW T4 has proved particularly successful, and there are still a number of them in service. “My people think the T4 is great,” says Nägel. The successors, the T5 and T6, are great too, but here and there the engines cause problems. There is even a T3 that is still in service from time to time. The petrol engine, built in 1988, has only done 120,000 kilometers.

“The Touran was very popular with colleagues”

Another model will also be missed: the VW Touran, which is no longer being built. “There is no replacement for it. The Touran was very popular with colleagues and proved to be very reliable,” says Müller. Otherwise, BMW (2 Series to 5 Series) and the Audi Q5 are mainly in use.

About a quarter are leased vehicles that are returned after two or three years. The others have a mileage of up to 500,000 kilometers. Their economic viability is checked regularly.

Four to five times a year, the police in Nuremberg auction off discarded vehicles. Is it worth it for bargain hunters? The cars are heavily used, but are also always very well maintained, says Müller. His tip: look for a vehicle from the criminal investigation department, which generally have less wear and tear than patrol cars.

And what does the police chief mechanic drive in his private life? “Renault,” says Nägel. And he has an old VW T3 bus. One of those workhorses that rolls so reliably.

The Erlangen Police Workshop

In addition to Nuremberg and Ansbach, the Central Franconia Police Headquarters operates its own car repair shop in the police station on Schornbaumstrasse in Erlangen. Ten people take care of technology, safety and cleanliness. Three automotive mechatronics engineers plus workshop manager and engineer Roland Nägel use five lifting platforms to inspect the approximately 250 police vehicles in the area of ​​responsibility. This includes Erlangen, the ERH district and Fürth.

Source: www.nn.de

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