A FRAULEIN from Frankfurt has joined police officers on the beat in Colchester.

German police officer Julie Rettenmeyer, from Giessen, Frankfurt, has joined officers in the town for a month in an observer role, as part of her training.

The 22-year-old, who has been training for the police for two years in Giessen, has spent her first few days with traffic officers from the Stanway road policing unit.

She said: “I was given the opportunity to train with another German force or go to another country.

“I had been to England before and loved it, so I wanted to come back here.

“In Germany there is a big distance between the police and the people, but the police here are out a lot and talk to the people.

“It has been nice to come out of Germany and see how it works somewhere else and see how they deal with problems.”

Insp Jim White, of the Colchester central policing team, said Miss Rettenmeyer will be working with officers to give her a better understanding of comparative justice across Europe.

He added: “We have previously had visitors from the Dutch police and some time ago I organised a visit by American students who became FBI and other law enforcement agents.

“It is an excellent scheme that gives our services a broader view of policing and allows them to pick out good practice and explain to the hosting force how they deal with the same issues.

“Although there are many minor differences between the German and British police, Miss Rettenmeyer has said many of the issues and problems we face are the same. She was surprised, as are many of our guests, that British police are still essentially unarmed.”