Ahead of the July 7-8 annual G20 summit of world leaders, this year hosted in Hamburg, teams of police forces from around Germany have been brought to the city to enhance security operations for the event.
But the waiting is the hardest part, and an estimated 220 Berlin officers have been sent home after members of their troupe were accused of having sex in public, brandishing their weapons while off duty and generally being drunk as lords.
A spokesperson for the Berlin police force, while not exactly apologizing, expressed frustration with the behavior of the officers, declaring, "you can't just have sex out in the open!"
"They were bored. There was no television," the spokesperson offered by way of an explanation, adding, "This behavior is embarrassing for the Berlin police."
Hamburg, a picturesque German port city with an active nightlife, wisely billeted the Berlin officers in a neighboring town, but locals soon began to complain of property damage and bad behavior, including reporting an officer out of doors in a bathrobe waving a service pistol and shouting at the top of his lungs, according to Deutsche Welle.
Berlin police were also seen standing in a line and urinating in public, swaying in time while singing a corps anthem.
Although it is not known which particular Berlin police officers were involved in the anti-social behavior, Hamburg city officials requested that the entire 220-member force be sent home without delay.
Berlin police officers have seen more than their share of scandal recently, as in the past several months two brothers were arrested after being caught dealing drugs within the city's police academy and an officer trainee attempted to enhance his pay by stealing surveillance equipment for resale.
