On Twitch, not only the usual suspects are active, but also the police of Lower Saxony. MeinMMO interviewed the team.
Who is it about? The police of Lower Saxony is not only active on the streets but also on Twitch. On their Twitch channel PolizeiHannover, the “Twitch Officers” provide insights into police life, but they also frequently game together.
Currently, the Twitch channel has over 54,000 followers and has reached an average of 606 viewers in the last 365 days (Source: SullyGnome.com). They spend most of their time in the Just Chatting category.
One of the main goals of the Twitch channel is to give people an insight into the profession of being a police officer while also working on prevention. It aims to proactively tackle crimes such as cyber grooming and bullying. Ideally, a kind of safe space is created on Twitch with the Twitch Officers to help potential victims.
More about their work, goals, and activities is revealed by the Twitch Officers in the interview below.
– The police use Twitch to reach a young audience where they already spend time daily. This way they aim to actively combat crimes such as cyber grooming, bullying, or insults.
– With just a few officers, much more people can be reached on Twitch than would be possible with information stands, for example.
– The spatial distance and anonymity can lead to potential victims feeling more comfortable contacting the police regarding sensitive topics like domestic violence. A trust base is built between the Twitch Officers and viewers.
– The success is based on the fact that real police officers bring their private gaming passion into the streams. This shared hobby serves as a basis for communication at eye level.
What the Twitch Officers want to achieve
MeinMMO: How did you come up with the idea of having your own Twitch channel?
PolizeiHannover: Twitch is one of the social media platforms with the highest growth and speaks to a specific young audience with a unique interest in streaming and gaming. Numbers show that one in two regularly plays video games; among children and teenagers, it’s around 90 percent – and this group often dedicates several hours of their free time to gaming daily.
The police of Hanover is present and approachable on many social media channels – but not on Twitch, a platform where we can find victims of various crimes.
Bullying, threats, insults, as well as cyber grooming can have serious consequences for the affected individuals. Offenders can easily build trust through playful relationships and exploit it. With the activity launched by the police of Hanover in late 2024, we are now not only approachable there but can also carry out target group-oriented prevention work – to protect potential victims from the aforementioned phenomena, but also perhaps to show potential offenders the criminal consequences of such behavior and effect a change in behavior.
We can also build trust through the shared topic of gaming and use it to conduct effective prevention work.
MeinMMO: What do you want to achieve with your work on Twitch?
PolizeiHannover: The goal is to be present as police in an area where we can reach a specific target group that we are increasingly struggling to contact and approach. Additionally, we want to operate in an area where the police have not traditionally been approachable, but where more and more crimes occur. We carry out prevention work on various topics to protect children, teenagers, and young adults from severe consequences. And we take tips on possible criminal activities.
Furthermore, we can report transparently about our work and answer questions about the police profession. Not only that, but also our mere presence and the modern, target group-oriented way of communication is additionally effective in terms of recruitment.
MeinMMO: What is a successful stream for you?
PolizeiHannover: A successful stream is any in which the Twitch Officers manage to reach people who otherwise tend not to engage in conversations with the police. Either because they have developed inhibitions for various reasons or because they think that the police content is supposedly not relevant to them.
We want to engage in conversations with people. Every interaction, every question directed at us that we can answer virtually in real-time is a success. Numbers are secondary for us, but still important: The more people we reach, the easier it is to address relevant topics and core messages of the police to as many people as possible.
That we are now reaching 60,000 to 80,000 people simultaneously with our streams, with a relatively low personnel deployment, is fantastic. When does the police manage to present a prevention topic understandably to so many people at once, as fits into a Bundesliga stadium?
MeinMMO: In what way? Do you think that Twitch promotes respect for the police among young people?
PolizeiHannover: It was important for us to build a trusting conversation with young people on an equal footing. That’s exactly what the gaming component creates. We never wanted to pander or act cool – our officers are cool. They are people who share the same passion as many Twitch users: gaming.
Police officers are not machines. They are people who come home after their shift to relax with a round of FIFA on the controller – just like students who come home, just like trainees who want to unwind after a stressful day at work. Respect and understanding can be generated much more easily when both sides recognize commonalities. They can relate to each other better. Respect is the ground on which we all stand together.
IRL & Gaming – The Twitch Officers can do both
MeinMMO: What is the favorite format of your team?
PolizeiHannover: Our officers don’t have a real favorite format. Like in a normal job, it’s the variety that makes the role so exciting.
We are versatile on Twitch: We have Just Chatting formats with experts or simply answering FAQs from the community. Often we game with the viewers so they can compete against us.
IRLs are now also part of our repertoire. Unforgettable were the training day with Zarbex and Schradin or accompanying a focus control on the topic of fitness to drive on the highway.
MeinMMO: Which format is best received by the community? Why do you think it is?
PolizeiHannover: IRLs are leading the way because they simply provide an unfiltered, thus very authentic insight into police work or training. This is what people want to see. But FAQ formats also attract tens of thousands of people per stream now.
Recently we often had 60,000 to 80,000 viewers that we reached with a three-hour stream. Many have questions for the police which they ask in the stream, questions they would never approach by waving down a patrol car or addressing a foot patrol.
MeinMMO: When it comes to developing a new format, how do you proceed?
PolizeiHannover: We already have a plan of what we want to show and what specific insights we can provide for operational or investigative reasons. However, we also listen very closely to the community. What is desired? Which topics are particularly in demand? We are here for that: We want to be approachable and present our police transparently. But communication only makes sense if it doesn’t go in just one direction.
We want to interact with people. However, it is always important to remember the human component: Behind every uniform is a person. The officers show this as well when they display humor, empathy, concern, and much more. Or when they simply fail and don’t show as good skills in gaming as community players might.
MeinMMO: What games/genres are taboo for you on Twitch?
PolizeiHannover: We have decided that we currently will not play any games that glorify violence. Games where violence must be used to achieve success or complete missions do not align with the police’s self-understanding.
We are aware that we cannot engage all gamers with Mario Kart, EA FC or various coop games. However, these games also represent our work: To be successful here, ambition, will, and the ability to progress as a team collectively is required. And hey: In games like GeoGuessr, our officers can show that they are good investigators and do not lose their sense of direction.
Fortunately no embarrassing moments yet
MeinMMO: What has been your favorite moment on Twitch so far?
PolizeiHannover: I wouldn’t focus on a specific moment. At first, we were quite uncertain how our activities would be received in the community or by the young audience.
Can they believe us that we have gaming fans in uniform who can bring their private passion into service, or do they consider our streams a cheap form of pandering, which it never was? Thus, my favorite moment is the realization that we have experienced a very positive reaction to our channel and continue to do so.
Of course, some people question whether taxpayers’ money is being spent properly, and it’s good that people ask such questions. But the efficiency that arises from the enormous reach with very minimal resource expenditure answers this question rather clearly. The community has recognized that this project has been well received.
MeinMMO: What have been the most embarrassing moments so far?
PolizeiHannover: Thankfully, we haven’t experienced any embarrassing moments. There has been no shitstorm, and no, our stream has also never been affected by a swatting attack, which would have little success anyway. 😊
This is the team on Twitch
MeinMMO: Which of the Twitch Officers is the best gamer?
PolizeiHannover: When selecting the officers, we paid attention to ensure they bring different preferences and favorite games or genres to be very diverse in gaming. Nothing is worse than boredom because we are always playing the same game.
We are actually quite good at EA FC. Some of our officers have already participated in e-sports tournaments both privately and professionally, so they can compete with very strong gamers.
MeinMMO: Which game would the entire team come together to play?
PolizeiHannover: As mentioned: Each officer has somewhat different preferences: One is more into soccer than racing, others like simulators or simple fun games that can be played casually with a large number of viewers.
MeinMMO: What do you think about the representation of the police in games? What do you find most frustrating/What are the most common mistakes?
PolizeiHannover: At the community’s request, we started playing the Autobahn Police Simulator early on. It’s a bit wild. Anyone who secures accident scenes in real life like in these games would likely have to report to a superior. And no, the police don’t also push cows off the highway.
Interestingly, the burglary simulator, or “Thief Simulator.” When we played this game, we had our technical prevention expert as a guest, who showed various vulnerabilities in houses based on the game and explained how to technically upgrade to best keep out burglars. As you can see, you can also derive benefits from the most exotic games if done right.
MeinMMO: How do you manage the balance between the relaxed Twitch etiquette with memes and slang and your role as law enforcers?
PolizeiHannover: Being a “law enforcer” doesn’t mean leaving your ease and authenticity in the locker room. We are aware that uniforms can create a certain distance from other people because officers visually stand out from the population. But in the uniforms are people like you and me, who can laugh and understand humor – they don’t always have to look strict and recite legal texts.
The most important tool in the police is, first and foremost, communication. And for our messages to be understood, they must be communicated in a target group-oriented manner, which we are achieving very well on Twitch – at least from my perspective.
We got to know the Twitch Officers in selection interviews and also paid attention to whether they communicated appropriately or if the bureaucrat reared its head. Anyone who follows our streams can confirm that ease, but also values like reliability and commitment are part of everyday life.
MeinMMO: What do older colleagues think of the streams?
PolizeiHannover: Acceptance is not necessarily related to age. We have succeeded in convincing skeptics in our own ranks as well as the population of the meaningfulness of this work – if they took the time to actually listen to our arguments and compare them with their first impressions. We are not the only police in Germany currently streaming on Twitch.
We have also discovered gaming as an opportunity in the analog world. For several months now, we have had a “gaming suitcase,” which contains a PlayStation 5, two controllers, and a permanently installed monitor in the lid. With that, we can take gaming to events, youth facilities, or schools.
But again, it’s not about gaming at all. Playing together is a gateway for us to deeper conversations. Our contact officers invite different target groups to coffee in a relaxed atmosphere to have a chat.
What is the coffee cup for these colleagues is now increasingly the controller for children, teenagers, and young adults. Those who scored one or two goals against the police in FIFA are much more open to discussions about prevention topics or personal problems, as our initial experiences show.
The Twitch Officers & their Community: Communication is Key
MeinMMO: How do you deal with negative voices from the community?
PolizeiHannover: The police stand for protecting freedom of expression. This also includes accepting opinions that you do not share. We listen to criticism and respond to it when it is factually informed.
It’s now easy to respond to the criticism that our Twitch streams are a waste of taxpayer money: Not only has nothing changed regarding the principle that the police must actively seek out target groups and engage with them in a suitable form if they want to talk to them.
Statistics also support us: Two or three officers whose duty is to engage with the population address as many people in three hours as they do not achieve even at large events. From my perspective, that is not a waste, but modern and target-oriented communication with the most efficient use of resources.
MeinMMO: How often does it happen that a candidate comes to you through your Twitch channel?
PolizeiHannover: Due to technical reasons, we cannot yet measure who decides to study police science or enter into employment because of our streams. However, we would like to evaluate that in the future.
However, we receive many queries regarding studies, requirements for access, or whether certain physical characteristics or pre-existing conditions could be a hindrance. Some have already indicated that they want to switch to us because the police of Hanover is perceived as a modern employer due to the Twitch activities. We are very pleased about that.
MeinMMO: What was a special moment when you reached someone you would probably never have reached through traditional info stands?
PolizeiHannover: These are the moments when we receive feedback from people that they found a possible way out of a difficult situation after they reached out to us in the chat during live streams.
These could be, for example, victims of domestic violence who realized for the first time that how they are treated in their “relationship” is not right or normal, or they receive concrete offers of help and contact points that they can reach out to or visit directly.
A special moment is also when people with mental health issues receive the last push to trust someone and seek support – whether it be a contact point or simply someone from their personal environment.
At a one-on-one info stand, especially in the midst of a busy environment such as trade fairs or large events, victims would likely rarely confide in the police. In the chat, the threshold is significantly lower due to spatial distance and anonymity, which naturally promotes such positive developments.
As already mentioned in the interview, the police in Lower Saxony is not the only one wishing to reach new target groups and enhance communication between the police and citizens through Twitch. In Denmark, police officers also stream, and you can read more about it here on MeinMMO: In one country in Europe, police officers play on Twitch, and 33,500 people follow them
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