The Berlin Police (Polizei) is one of the institutions in charge of the order and safety in the Germany capital. More than 22,000 police officers stand by to protect the people in the city and enforce the law. There are police stations in every city district.

If you encounter police officers in uniform, do not hesitate to approach them if you need help. You can also go to one of the local police stations. The quickest way to contact the police is by phone. The central emergency telephone number of the police is 110. Calls to this number can be made from landline telephones, public telephones and mobiles. They are always free of charge and don't require coins or telephone cards. Calls are answered within seconds. It takes only a couple of minutes until the police arrive on site.

Please call 110 only if you or someone else is in danger. If this is not the case and you would like to contact the Berlin police about something else such as advice or general information, you can call them at +49 30 4664-4664. In case of an accident with injuries, please call 112 for an ambulance. Please note that the abuse of the emergency number is liable to prosecution and financial consequences.

When you call the police at 110, the operator will ask you to state the nature of the emergency and answer a couple of questions:

• What happened? Please describe the emergency, possible injuries and dangers
• Where did it happen? Please tell the operator the location of the emergency
• Who is calling? Please state your name, location and phone number

Be as brief and precise as possible when answering these questions and wait for the police to arrive on site.