VISITS BY THE JOINT COMMISSION Natural light x x Mattresses x x Information about rights x x Frequency of checks x Privacy Reutershagen Police Station Fire alarms Friedrichshafen Police Station Recommendations were made concerning Konstanz Police Station Singen Police Station 2 – POLICE STATIONS x x x x x x In 2013 the Joint Commission visited four police stations in Baden-Württemberg and MecklenburgWestern Pomerania. Statements submitted by the Ministry of the Interior of Baden-Württemberg and the Berlin Senate Department for the Interior and Sports following visits in 2012 are also included below. rooms, some of which can be monitored by CCTV camera. No-one was being held in custody at the time of the visit. 2.1.1 – Recommendations of the Joint Commission and response of the Ministry of the Interior of Baden-Württemberg None of the detention rooms in any of the police stations had either a fire alarm or dimmable lighting. In addition, none of the detention rooms in Mannheim City Centre Police Station or in either of the police stations in Heidelberg had any daylight, which is why they are not suitable for detaining people for any length of time. New buildings should be constructed so that direct, natural light is guaranteed, even during short periods of custody. Response: The Ministry is seeking to fit the detention rooms with fire alarms and night lights as soon as possible in consultation with the building authorities. The recommendation that when planning new buildings provision should be made for direct natural light has been passed on to the competent Office for Assets and Construction Management. Some of the detention rooms in the police stations had the option of conducting CCTV surveillance. However, it was not clear in the detention rooms themselves whether the cameras were on or not. Also, contrary to the Police Act and the Police Custody Regulations, detainees were not always informed that they may possibly be monitored by CCTV camera. At Heidelberg City Centre Police Station it was clear 2.1 – VISITS TO MANNHEIM EAST, MANNHEIM CITY CENTRE, HEIDELBERG CITY CENTRE AND HEIDELBERG SOUTH POLICE STATIONS IN 2012 The Joint Commission visited Mannheim East and Mannheim City Centre police stations on the night of 2 November 2012. Mannheim East Police Station can hold nine people in seven cells, Mannheim City Centre two in single cells. No-one was being held in custody in either of the police stations at the time of the visit. The Joint Commission was given access to two investigation files of the Mannheim Public Prosecution Office containing reports made against police officers regarding offences committed in the custody suites. They gave no occasion for further comment. The Joint Commission visited Heidelberg City Centre and Heidelberg South police stations on 3 November 2012. Heidelberg City Centre Police Station has a total of 10 single-occupancy detention rooms. Some of the detention rooms can be monitored by CCTV camera. Heidelberg South Police Station has four single-occupancy detention 71