Ex-Delhi Police ACP recalls German police encounter, says it made him see the uniform differently after 38 years in service

An ex-Delhi Police ACP, Rajindar Pathania, has shared two observations from a recent visit to Germany, saying an encounter with German police and the cleanliness of public spaces made him reflect on policing, civic responsibility and lessons India could learn. Pathania recounted how police officers handled Indian travellers’ luggage during a security check and highlighted the role of citizens in maintaining cleanliness.

In a post on X, Pathania recalled an incident during his Germany tour when a bus carrying Indian travellers was stopped and surrounded by German police. The passengers were taken to a police station, where they were asked to get off the bus one by one. Their passports and visas were checked, while their luggage was searched.



Pathania said the sight of police action on foreign soil initially caused him some anxiety. However, he was struck by what the officers did during the inspection.

The German police officers personally lifted the travellers’ luggage and took it to the baggage scanner. They checked the items individually and, after completing the inspection, carried the luggage back and placed it on the bus.

Reflecting on the incident after more than 38 years in police service, Pathania said it gave him an opportunity to see the police uniform from a different perspective.

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“There was strictness of the law, there was scrutiny, there was discipline. But along with it, there was respect, sensitivity and a spirit of service,” he wrote.

Pathania said the experience led him to conclude that the dignity of a uniform does not come only from authority, but also from using that authority with humanity.

Pathania links cleanliness to civic responsibility

The second experience that stayed with Pathania was the cleanliness he observed on German roads and in public places, where he said there was little litter.

Sharing short videos along with his post, Pathania questioned what was behind the difference in cleanliness and whether government systems played a larger role in Germany.

He said the system might contribute, but argued that the greater difference he noticed was in the mindset and responsibility of citizens.

Pathania pointed to questions Indians often raise about public cleanliness, including why the government does not maintain it, while also asking people to examine their own role.

“Who throws trash on the road? Who dirties the walls? Who keeps public spaces clean, treating them like their own home?” he wrote.

He added that governments can establish systems, deploy employees and conduct cleanliness campaigns, but maintaining public spaces also requires citizens to develop the habit of keeping them clean.

Users debate policing, population and civic sense

Pathania said the two experiences reminded him of the responsibilities associated with being both a police officer and a citizen.

He concluded that simply travelling abroad, admiring the surroundings and returning home is not enough. According to him, bringing back a useful lesson and applying it in India can make such a journey meaningful.

The post also drew different reactions from users. One user said cleanliness in such places was the result of citizens being aware of hygiene, along with local bodies having “zero tolerance to corruption”.

Another user said India’s police face different circumstances, arguing that officers often lack the training and time to provide more courtesy than necessary and work under pressure from heavy workloads. The user also said the responsibilities and population burden faced by Indian police cannot be compared with those in most European countries.

On cleanliness, the same user said expecting European levels of cleanliness in a poor, overpopulated country with crowded public spaces and weak civic sense meant ignoring the realities on the ground.

A third user, whose daughter has lived in Germany for a decade, attributed the difference primarily to population.