...identification that they remove or lose before knocking some protesters over the head. Obviously China and HK are pathological cases, but police correctness in Europe also seems to be overrated.

There was a bloodbath in Italy at the G8 summit. UK, France and Germany are better, but there's still cases of police brutality.

Look, did the police in Italy go right next to your house and tear gassed the whole residential area?

That's my personal experience last night.

I was just outside my home, not at a protest. And now I can't even put on respirators to protect myself.

The police in Philadelphia bombed an entire neighborhood.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/MOVE#1985_bombing

Germany does not have clearly marked identification for police officers at protests. It's an issue that is being discussed, and I believe they should have, but you're mistaken in believing that it is a thing.

The Uk police have had numbers for a very long time not sure if it doesn't go back to the peel days.

Yes they have. The question is just if it has to be their real name, or if a number (which can be tracked back to the person by authorities) is enough.

Some states in Germany have (very!) recently started to implement it, but it's not a general thing.

Here's a good overview: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kennzeichnungspflicht_f%C3%BCr...

In most, if not all, of these countries' security forces have plain clothes police officers.

Do the plain clothes wear face masks?

the plain clothes is the mask!