Protest arose as soon as German interior minister Thomas de Maizière suggested combining the 40,000 officers of the country's Federal Police and the 5,500 of the Federal Criminal Police Office, or BKA.The idea is to streamline the force to improve protection against organized crime and terrorism. The BKA opposes the merger. Its president, Jörg Ziercke says his highly specialized officers cannot be integrated in the structures of the Federal Police.
