Police operation at European Championship round of 16: Stadium climber faces heavy fine

The Dortmund stadium climber may have to pay for the police operation he triggered. This is made possible by a fee structure that the state of North Rhine-Westphalia introduced last summer. “The Dortmund police headquarters is currently checking whether costs can be charged in this case,” said a spokesperson when asked by the German Press Agency. NRW Interior Minister Herbert Reul thinks this is consistent.

During Germany’s round of 16 match at the European Football Championship against Denmark (2:0) on Saturday evening, a man from Osnabrück was spotted under the roof of the Dortmund stadium. The police monitored him until the end of the game, and finally a special task force rescued the 21-year-old from the roof structure.

Penalty to prevent copycats at European Championships

The day after the incident, the police announced that the young man wanted to take photos on the roof of the stadium “as he has done in other places in Germany.” “At no point was there any danger to other people in the stadium. The Dortmund police are currently ruling out a political motivation,” said investigators. The events had no concrete impact on the course of the game or on departure after the match.

Last August, in the course of the debate about the costs of police operations due to so-called climate stickers, the state of North Rhine-Westphalia introduced a fee schedule that covers a wide range of scenarios. This includes the “rescue or recovery of people if the danger that prompted the operation was caused intentionally or through gross negligence by them.” Billing is based on time and effort, and fees can amount to up to 50,000 euros.

NRW Interior Minister Reul told the dpa: “The organizer is responsible for the security concept in the stadiums. The stadium roof climber is not the first security-related incident in a stadium at this European Championship and has shown that we need to take a closer look here. I expressly welcome the fact that UEFA has now decided to put the concepts to the test.”

Reul stressed: “I have no understanding of why the 21-year-old climbed onto the stadium roof for a few pictures and brief fame on social media. The man not only put his life in danger, but also that of the emergency services. I think it is absolutely consistent and right to examine whether the 21-year-old can be charged for the costs of the operation. This deters copycats and leads to people thinking twice about such a senseless action.”