West German Agencies

		Bavarian Border Police. For military units operating in Bavaria, the Bavarian Border Police played an active role in patrolling the border as well as gathering intelligence on activities occurring in the border area. The BBP also conducted stake outs of suspected crossing sites for East German spies, as well as interrogating escapees and border guards that defected to the West. The BBP was a state agency.
BBP officer observing the border

BGS members training		Bundesgrenzschutz (Federal Border Police). Formed in 1951, the Bundesgrenzschutz (BGS) was a major player in gathering intelligence and patrolling the borders of the Landesgrenz and Berlin. Part police force and part military unit, the BGS used a variety of vehicles including lightly armored vehicles and helicopters Unlike the Bavarian Border Police, the BGS was a federal agency, and its mission was (and still is today) similar in scope to U.S. Border Patrol operations. In addition to its border mission during the Cold War, the BGS also served as riot police for West Germany and undertook special protective missions such as guarding airports.

Zoll patrol on the border.		Zoll (Customs). Another West German government agency that played a role in border operations was the the German Customs agency known as the Zoll. In addition to their usual role manning border crossing points and performing customs inspections, the Zoll also patrolled the border and gathered intelligence similar in nature to U.S. Customs operations on American borders and ports of entry. One trademark of the Zoll patrols were their K-9s that accompanied them occasionally on patrols, and the traditional German lederhosen-type uniforms they wore while on foot patrols along the border.

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Border guards walking past a BBP car parked on the border	BGS observing minefield operations	BGS and Zoll meeting on the border