My bag got stolen last night as I walked from the unispital to my car, the guy said something in German and just took it, for a moment I thought I had teleported to an estate in London, with all the rain and grey buildings around me I had to pinch myself "have I been mugged in Switzerland!??" after the initial shock, I realized I didn’t know what to do....should I call the police or what? my Londoner common sense told me to go home and cancel my cards and begin the mundane process of getting a new permit etc.

Anyway, thanks to the English forum I was established I needed to go to the police station and report it to get a new permit.

NOT a single police officer in ENGE police station could speak English!!!, I realise I live in Switzerland and I should speak German, however they had no English skill whatsoever!

I called the police station in Bahnhofquai and the police officer who did speak English told me I should learn German as Switzerland/Zurich is a German speaking city........REALLLLLLLLLLLly....my bag got stolen asshole thanks for the sympathy..... should I come back in a year or so! or do you want to fine me for not speaking German! (I didn’t say that ;( ...wish I did thou)

Basically im having a bit of a rant, I know I should speak German as I live here now, unfortunately it looks like it’s going to for a while as my husband is Swiss, but shouldn’t the police have some sort of basic English skills???? at least for tourist.....English is the communication language of the world...!

OUTCOME....I will learn German...I’ve resisted but its time....long live the queen (seeing as she’s German)....

presumably you shouted louder in English? Usually works.. otherwise i find asking them who won the war anyway does the trick.

And you joined the EF two years ago, and only now you meet the need to speak German? How do you manage your daily life?

I wonder if any police in the UK or US speak German?

Tom

In mexico they don't even speak spanish sometimes....

If you're stressed they would probably talk very slowly to you and attempt to get an interpreter.

probably not but english is the international language of the world not german

Sorry to hear about the bag, eggy, but I don't quite agree that everyone in the world in the public service areas should speak English. I assume (PURE speculation) that the average policeman only has to deal with someone who doesn't speak any German perhaps once a year. Why demand that police students speak English, when they live in a country with several other official languages ?

Your frustration is totally understandable, specially in a stressful situation like that, but most of us (expats) don't really expect to find English-skilled personnel everywhere around (perhaps specially me, leaving in the sticks in Eastern Switzerland...although that is also pure speculation).

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How dare they not speak English. They should all be taken off the streets and sent to school to learn English. It's not like they have anything else to do

probably not, but in the uk they have a team of iinterpreters on the end of the phone

(no joke, they really do)

Some police do not speak English

I agree with the concept behind this comment. But the reality is there is a lot of english speakers in Zurich, and english is taught at the schools at a young age.

If there was a large german speaking population in the US and Germans was commonly taught in primary school, I could see a proper comparison.

Yes, 'cos German is the international language, isn't it.

Sorry, but that has no relevance.

I was 2 days into CH and looking for a Swisscom shop I asked a policeman for directions. Note this was in central Basel in a pedestrian area.

My first words were (in broken German): "Excuse me, do you speak French or English?"

His answer: "Nein, wir sind in Basel, wir sprechen Deutch..." (excuse typos!)

He then proceeded to be completely unhelpful as I tried desperately in bad German to try and get directions.

Grade 1 prick.

Subsequent dealings with them over the past 12 years have not improved much.

@ the OP. Sorry to hear about your shitty experience. Unfortunately, the police in CH are not there to "serve and protect" as the LAPD have it. And are not as friendly or helpful as the UK Bobby. Rather they are here to enforce the law. Remember that when dealing with them and you'll be fine.

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Never let right or wrong get in the way of a good opinion

From Wikipedia, about foreigner population demographics:

Resident foreigners and temporary foreign workers make up about 22% of the population. Most of these (60%) are from European Union or EFTA countries.

Italians are the largest single group of foreigners with 17.3% of total foreign population. They are followed by Germans (13.2%), immigrants from Serbia and Montenegro (11.5%) and Portugal (11.3%).

Can you imagine changing the language training for civil service employees with every major immigration trend ? Policemen would have to speak Serbian, or Portuguese soon.

not if they all spoke english

What are you complaining about? You are living in a German speaking country for over two years and so far coudn't be bothered to learn the language? Why should the police officers speak English. They work neither in England nor in the USA.
By the way did you try to express yourself just in English or did you bother to ask them if they spoke French or Italian? I guess at least one of the police officers would have known some French. Silly me, I forgot to ask you: Do you speak another language than English?

...the fact that nobody spoke English and was able to help simply shows how advanced this place really is. When I lived in China, they spoke English at the police station. Mind you, China is not a developed country as yet.

Funny they couldn't speak english there, because when one of my coworker had his car towed and had to go to Enge and pay something like CHF 500 in fines, they were fluent and knew all the technical terms to convince him he had to pay!

Also at the border recently:
me: "Is it the right way for Germany?"
Swiss custom officer: "..."
me: "...is it?"
Swiss custom officer: ...
me: "..."
Swiss custom officer mumbles : "Sie müssen Deutsch lernen..."

chill!!

personally I don't think it unreasonable for at least some zurich police to be able to speak a little english, there is a huge transient english speaking population in the canton (from various countries), and as others have pointed out they teach english from primary school, so for the police to say they speak no english is frankly bollocks, every other advert, song, tv show etc etc is in english here. its probably the same copper who would claim he doesn't understand high german, only swiss, if you made the effort.

Nail. Head. Hit.

It isn't that they can't. It is the attitude that they shouldn't need to.