Düsseldorf in crime thriller: Wapo Duisburg reveals dark secrets!

Düsseldorf in crime thriller: Wapo Duisburg reveals dark secrets!

The first is currently broadcasting the third season of the “Wapo Duisburg” success series, which started on February 11, 2025 with a total of eight new episodes. The current episodes land with around two and a half million viewers and are broadcast every Tuesday at 6.50 p.m. Another date has already been made: The fourth season is heralded on April 15, 2025 with the episode "Sensational Fund", in which the water protection police are called for a broken container. The suspected great drug discovery not only draws Carsten Heinrich, but also the commissioner candidate Klara Proske to the crime scene.

Klara Proske is on the best training path because it is considered the best of the year. As part of her one-year internship program, she is used in various departments and manages to support the WAPO team decisively. However, it does not remain with routine operations: During the investigation into a burglary, Klara Proske is kidnapped, which significantly increases the tension within the series. Heinrich and the Wapo are required to find them.

insights into the investigation

WAPO boss Kruppka is under immense pressure. A police examiner, Stefan Ernst, should control the efficiency of the guard. In this environment, Kruppka calls for her troop to focus on the flagship function as a water protection police officer and not to get involved with criminal cases. Nevertheless, an unexpected find opens up for a lane and his colleague Mark discovering a water body in the event of a lane control, new investigations that the team now wants to advance independently of the Kripo.

Kruppka initially classifies the dead as a suicide, which meets the WAPO team without understanding. Her suspicion of a deeper connection between the late woman to her past, especially through the search for a father she had never met, leads to further research. But the internal examiner is not enthusiastic about the bypass of his instructions and could result in serious consequences for the team and the guard.

Markus John, who shines in the role of the hunter, shows as the former head of the Duisburg homicide commission that he does not feel comfortable in his new position. He does not wear a rank badge and often evades his tasks. However, his passion for criminalistic investigations comes to light when the possibility of solving a real case.

crime statistics in context

The thematic interweaving between "Wapo Duisburg" and real crime in Germany becomes clear from the police crime statistics (PKS) in 2023. This occupies an increase in crimes recorded by 5.5 % compared to the previous year, which has been the highest level since 2016. With 5,940,667 cases, the challenge for the police is increasing. Part of this development is attributed to the increased mobility after the end of the Covid 19 restrictions, as well as economic loads.

in 2023, in particular, 214,099 cases of violent crime were recorded, which means an increase of 8.6 % compared to the previous year. This throws a light on the background, which are also treated in the narrative threads of "Wapo Duisburg" - the constant increase in drug crime and the associated challenges for the prevention work of the police.

Overall, the interface between the fictional world of the water protection police and the reality of crime statistics shows how important it is to address current social challenges not only on the television, but also in the real world.