Greene’s model of the ocean of policing intends to use sea conditions as a metaphor for forces, which shape trends in policing. Thereby, he distinguishes three levels: The macro, meso and micro level. On each level, he identifies several elements of the ocean. In our article, we try to use these elements to illustrate developments in the German police force. The main aspects, which are covered, are police education/training and the interaction between security issues and human rights. In the end, we will see, if Greene’s metaphor is adequate to capture the dynamics and developments of policing in Germany.