Series synopsis
Night patrol, also known as Nachtstreife is a German documentary television series that premiered on Das Erste on October 14, 2020. It stars Lena Bottlender, Jan Enders, Jonas Horder and Sarah Schräder.
Every night, the Mainz police teams go out into the unknown - to help, calm down, de-escalate, make arrests or take a close look at crimes and deaths. They often expect unusual missions. The SWR documentary series provides an exclusive and unadulterated insight into the demanding work of the Mainz police. It shows the police officers behind the uniform.
Premise
Every night, the Mainz police teams go out into the unknown - to help, calm down, de-escalate, make arrests or take a close look at crimes and deaths. They often expect unusual missions. The SWR documentary series provides an exclusive and unadulterated insight into the demanding work of the Mainz police. It shows the police officers behind the uniform.
Cast and characters
Leading cast
- Lena Bottlender
- Jan Enders
- Jonas Horder
- Sarah Schräder
- Sebastian Obermeier
- Dominik Muders
- Kevin Gugenheimer
- Melina Reisel
Supporting cast
Episodes
This series spans 8 seasons with 36 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | 6 | October 14, 2020 | November 12, 2020 |
| Season 2 | 6 | October 27, 2022 | December 1, 2022 |
| Season 3 | 6 | May 2, 2024 | May 3, 2024 |
| Season 4 | 5 | January 7, 2025 | January 8, 2025 |
| Season 5 | 6 | June 11, 2025 | June 25, 2025 |
| Season 6 | 5 | February 4, 2026 | March 4, 2026 |
| Season 7 | 1 | ||
| Season 8 | 1 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
A deathly cold night Commissioners Neuhaus and Gillot are supposed to investigate two deaths. A man suddenly dies at home and a young man dies from his crossbow. Foreign influence? This death is very close to the detectives' minds. |
October 14, 2020 |
| 2 |
Screaming at night On the run with a hammer: Inspector Jung and her boss Enders pursue a perpetrator in Mainz's old town. Back at the station things get difficult: a rioting prisoner screams like he's out of his mind. |
October 15, 2020 |
| 3 |
A dark carnival Funny costumes and lots of alcohol. The Old Town Guard has a lot to do during Carnival in Mainz. Does the llama go for walks with his own garbage can or is it stolen? Police Commissioner Jung investigates the matter. |
October 22, 2020 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Intoxication and rioting A turbulent night in Mainz: Alcohol and riots determine the police operations. In front of a nightclub, the old town guard has to mediate between bouncers and a very drunk guest. And the KDD is called to a body found at a bus stop. |
October 27, 2022 |
| 2 |
Search in the darkness Nighttime search operation for the Mainz Old Town Guard: Will they find the boy in time who announced his suicide after an argument? Meanwhile, the criminal investigation service makes a grisly discovery: a badly decomposed corpse in a house completely littered with rubbish. |
November 3, 2022 |
| 3 |
Shots at night An alarming radio message reaches the Old Town Guard team. Shots are said to have been fired in a Mainz residential area in the middle of the night. To protect themselves, the officers have a dog with them, which could more easily overpower an armed perpetrator. |
November 10, 2022 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
The Mainz Fire Devil A series of arsons shakes downtown Mainz. Two radio messages come in one after the other that night: Garbage cans are burning in residential areas. The flames threaten to spread to the houses. The police have to be on site quickly. The two police commissioners Sarah Schräder and Jonas Horder try to get the fire under control before the fire department arrives. Meanwhile, another garbage can is burning in the neighborhood. The Mainz Fire Devil has been causing mischief for months. When the fire was extinguished, the team from the Mainz 1 Police Department began looking for the perpetrator. Several identity checks are scheduled that night. Meanwhile, the Neustadtwache Mainz team receives a tragic radio message: a man is lying lifeless in a pool of blood. Next to him is a gun. Here, too, the police officers have to be on site quickly and clarify: Is this a crime, a murder or is this a suicide that the patrol officers find? |
May 2, 2024 |
| 2 |
A dark manhunt Quick intervention is required when this radio message comes in: choking attack on an Uber driver. When the police team Sarah Schräder and Jonas Horder arrive at the scene in downtown Mainz, a man has another man under his control. The situation is completely opaque. The team has to react immediately: It turns out that the man lying on the ground is heavily drunk and very aggressive. He's the one who attacked the Uber driver. His friend holds him. The Uber driver complains of severe pain in his neck. Why the choking attack occurred remains unclear. During the night another radio message comes in: A girl is looking for her friend. Both were attacked and beaten by men on the banks of the Rhine. The girls fled in different directions. Now the worry is great: Where is the girlfriend? |
May 2, 2024 |
| 3 |
Riot in the dark A drunk man riots at a gas station in Mainz. The employee calls the police. When the police officers arrived on site with flashing lights, the man continued to behave aggressively and unreasonably. A scuffle ensued until the police handcuffed the man and calmed him down. Meanwhile, the two police commissioners Sarah Schräder and Jonas Horder are still looking for the missing girl on the banks of the Rhine. After an extensive search in the dark, they finally find the distraught girl. She was beaten and needs to be checked in hospital for injuries. There is trouble in front of a club in downtown Mainz. The bouncer called the police because a group of young men were rowdying and behaving aggressively. The patrol team Lena Bottländer and Gerwin Schwiersch have to call for reinforcements; they cannot handle the situation alone. |
May 2, 2024 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Shots in the Residential Area Officers from the Kriminaldauerdienst (KDD) and patrol units are deployed after reports of a man firing shots from his apartment window. While the detectives and specialists manage this dangerous situation, other officers deal with everyday police work including handling crimes in the red‑light district around St. Pauli. |
January 7, 2025 |
| 2 |
Trouble on the Große Freiheit Police patrols on Hamburg’s famous nightlife street grapple with rowdy crowds, intoxicated individuals, and public disturbances. The episode shows how officers balance maintaining safety with de‑escalation in a busy entertainment district. |
January 7, 2025 |
| 3 |
Manhunt in the Darkness A violent incident at a petrol station in Bergedorf prompts a search for a suspect at night, highlighting how officers coordinate and respond under low‑visibility conditions. Meanwhile, another unit from the water police is called to investigate a possible contamination incident in the port — adding complexity to the night’s workload. |
January 8, 2025 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
A Brutal Robbery Mainz police respond to an armed robbery at a petrol station where the attendant was threatened and traumatized. The criminal investigation team and other patrol units launch an extensive search for the suspect, while other officers investigate related incidents such as suspicious behaviour during traffic stops. |
June 11, 2025 |
| 2 |
In the Grip of Darkness Officers handle several unusual night calls: a supposed break‑in at a club turns out to involve a drunken couple trying to sneak in, and another team uncovers an odd case of water theft from the city supply. At a riverside wine festival, drunken behaviour complicates a property damage call, and a report of a colleague in a possible psychological crisis demands calm judgement from responding officers. |
June 11, 2025 |
| 3 |
Mysterious death Criminal investigators are called to an apartment where a middle‑aged man is found dead in puzzling circumstances, triggering a thorough forensic inquiry including a medical examiner’s involvement. Meanwhile, other patrols deal with unrelated incidents such as a fire initially thought to be arson, which turns out to involve domestic conflict. |
June 18, 2025 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Dangerous escape Police officers Sophia Rühlemann and Sebastian Fuchs from Hamburg-Hamm are chasing a burglar who is believed to be hiding somewhere inside a vast office complex. A reckless escape attempt suddenly puts the officers in a dangerous and challenging situation. At the same time, the criminal investigation unit is on its way to a mysterious death. A young man has collapsed and died unexpectedly in the middle of the street. Investigators Katrin Kernig and Michael Walther begin searching for answers, trying to piece together what really happened. |
February 4, 2026 |
| 2 |
Arsonist at night Residents of an apartment building are jolted awake in the middle of the night when several cars go up in flames in the parking lot outside. Was it arson? Police officers Kenneth Tamm and Marlene Ebert from Altona secure the area, warn residents, and begin their initial investigation. Meanwhile, a night of partying on the Reeperbahn ends abruptly for a young woman in the back of an ambulance. The suspicion: someone may have slipped a date-rape drug into her drink. Officers Lena Priebusch and Eric Zeitschel from the Davidwache take over the case. |
February 11, 2026 |
| 3 |
Bloody fight Lena Priebusch and Eric Zeitschel are on duty on the Kiez when they come across an injured man in need of help. Was it an accident, a robbery, or a violent dispute? They must quickly determine what really happened. Meanwhile, Timo Marzahn and Malte Hübner from the traffic unit targeting illegal street racing are patrolling the city center. A very special car has caught their attention - but is the Mustang actually allowed to be driven on the streets of the Hanseatic city? |
February 18, 2026 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Episode 1 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Episode 1 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | Das Erste |
|---|---|
| First aired | October 14, 2020 |
| Last aired | March 4, 2026 |
| Runtime | 45 minutes |
| Status | continue |