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Stopped by Police. Possible racial profiling?
Got stopped by police driving home today. A bit confused by the situation. Your thoughts are welcome including "there is nothing more sinister here, sounds like a normal stop".
Cops said… Hi everyone
Got stopped by police driving home today. A bit confused by the situation. Your thoughts are welcome including "there is nothing more sinister here, sounds like a normal stop".
Cops said my car (a VW golf!)matches the profile of drug dealers due to the dealer license plate cover because apparently this dealer sold a lot of cars to drug dealers. This dealer is an official VW dealer btw.
They then asked me to hand over my cell phone. I refused. That got a bit tense but they agreed to let me keep it if I did not use it. I said fine.
I was relieved this was a drug thing and I was not being booked for any traffic violation. Told them they can search the car as much as they want. They did. They apologized politely and let me go. Well one was polite, the one that demanded my phone was a bit of a dick.
The reason I'm thinking this entire dealer story was made up by them is because i was no where near a drug area, the police knows where the drug dealers are and who the main players in that world are and I never got the impression they care so much about drugs in general (just look at Gorli). It's not making so much sense. But could be an excuse to stop the middle eastern looking guy and search his car...
Thoughts?
I've seen this exact dealer plate excuse come up a few times in Berlin forums over the years. It's oddly specific enough that some officers probably do use it as a genuine profile, but also convenient enough to be a cover for other reasons. The phone demand is the real red flag here, that's not standard procedure at all and you handled it right by refusing.
If you want to put something on record, the Berliner Polizei has a Beschwerdestelle that handles conduct complaints, you can find it through their website under "Service" then "Beschwerden." Takes maybe 15 minutes to fill out and you don't need a lawyer for it. I'd also recommend keeping a small notepad in your glovebox to jot down badge numbers and patrol car IDs if it happens again, that alone tends to shift how officers behave mid-stop.
The dealer plate cover thing is actually a known profile, I've had a buddy who got the exact same story near Neukolln. But the phone demand is where it crosses a line, legally they can't force that without a warrant, so you were right to hold firm. If you want to do something about it, file a complaint through the Polizei Berlin website under "Hinweis auf mogliches Fehlverhalten," it's a bit bureaucratic but puts it on record. For next time, a dashcam is solid advice, and keep being polite but clear about your rights.
The dealer plate cover thing is a real pattern in Berlin. There's a specific VW dealer on Heerstraße that's known for selling to certain crowds, so cops do use that as a stop rationale. But the phone demand is the part that stands out to me. They're not supposed to demand your phone without a specific suspicion, and the fact they backed off when you refused tells you something.
You handled it well by staying calm and letting them search. Next time just remember you can also refuse the search if you want, though it usually drags things out. If this happens again and you feel it's profiling, write down the badge numbers and file a complaint with the Polizei Berlin Beschwerdestelle. They actually do look into these, even if the outcome varies.
The Gorli comparison is fair but cops work differently than the regular street patrols you see there. Traffic stops like this are often just fishing expeditions regardless of the story they tell you.
i'd say skip the big names and look at studiowest in prenzlauer berg, they do amazing japanese style but the waitlist is like 6 months. if u want something quicker, the artists at bitterlich tattoo in mitte are super underrated, especially for fine line. and honestly, walk past the instagram hype, go to a shop in person and ask to see their portfolio book, that's where the real stuff is.
The Berlin tattoo scene is pretty spread out, so it depends on what style you're after. For fine line and minimalist work, I'd look at A Fine Line in Kreuzberg, they're booked out weeks in advance for a reason. If you want bold traditional, check out Die Wilde Ecke in Neukölln, they've been around forever and the artists there are solid. Honestly, your best bet is to scroll through Instagram and find someone whose healed work you like, not just the fresh photos, because that's where the real skill shows.
One thing nobody's mentioned yet is the tattoo convention at Arena Berlin, usually in early summer. It's a good way to see a bunch of styles in one afternoon and talk to artists face to face without committing to a shop. I found my guy there three years ago, he works out of a tiny studio near Boxhagener Platz and does amazing neo-traditional, but he rarely posts on Instagram so you'd never discover him otherwise. Bring cash if you go, a lot of the booths only take that on the day.