Archbishop Heße visits the water police: Focus on safety on the Elbe!

Archbishop Heße visits the water police: Focus on safety on the Elbe!

On July 11, 2025, Archbishop Stefan Heße visited the Water Police Commissariat 3 (WSPK 3) in Hamburg-Harburg to find out first-hand about the diverse tasks and training structures of the water police. In an insightful conversation with two police officers, he learned more about the areas of responsibility and daily challenges that officers in the Port of Hamburg have to overcome. Such encounters are part of the regular parish visits that the Archbishop carries out in the parish of St. Maximilian Kolbe. The focus here is not only on pastoral work, but also on the economic and social situation of the community.

Following the exchange, the Archbishop took an exciting boat trip on the Elbe, which took him past iconic sights such as the Köhlbrand Bridge and the Elbphilharmonie. This trip impressively shows how multifunctional the water police are and how important their role is for safety and order on the water.

The tasks of the water police

The Hamburg water police are not only responsible for ensuring safety on navigable water surfaces, but also fulfill numerous other safety-related functions. It not only monitors parts of the territorial sea and the Elbe up to the Geesthacht lock, but also monitors compliance with national and international regulations, particularly with regard to the transport of dangerous goods. These tasks are essential to ensure safety and smooth operations in Germany's largest seaport.

• Gewährleistung der Sicherheit und Leichtigkeit des Verkehrs auf dem Wasser
• Ermittlung von Gefahren und deren Beseitigung
• Verhütung und Verfolgung von Straftaten
• Kontrolle von Dokumenten an Bord von Schiffen und Fahrzeugen
• Überwachung der Einhaltung von Umweltvorschriften

The department has around 520 employees, divided into three water police stations and one water police station. Management is in the hands of Police Director André Bertram, supported by a powerful team that covers organizational matters.

International standards and safety

A particularly important area is the monitoring of international port security standards in accordance with the ISPS Code. These regulations are crucial to protect shipping and port facilities from terrorist attacks. The water police not only carry out checks on potentially dangerous ships, but also prepare reports and advise port facility operators on the development of security plans.

Close cooperation with the Hamburg Port Authority is essential to enable a comprehensive risk assessment for the entire port area. Hamburg police highlights that the water police play a key role in the security of the Port of Hamburg - Germany's largest and third largest European port, which is number 15 in the world in container throughput.

Archbishop Heße's visit to the water police shows how closely the church and society are interwoven and how important the cooperation of different institutions is for the common good.