– It’s unpleasant – news Oslo og Viken – Local news, TV and radio

– At first I was very surprised. Because I didn’t quite understand what it was. This is what the mayor of Ål, Solveig Vestenfor, says to news. Last week, one of the mayor’s children found 13 empty cartridge cases in the mailbox. The mayor emphasizes that she has grown children, but that they commented that there were “cartridges in the mailbox”. In the mayor’s mailbox were 13 empty cartridge cases for a 22 caliber weapon. Photo: Private – I checked if it was in several mailboxes. It didn’t. So I took a picture of it, picked them up with tweezers and put them in a plastic bag. I gave it to the police, says Vestenfor. It was Hallingdølen who mentioned the case first. – People have to accept that one is not in agreement politically. The Mayor refers to the whole thing as special. – It is unpleasant, she says and adds that she feels that people around her are quite upset by what has happened, but that she herself finds it the saddest. – Is it meant to be a kind of counter-vote to something I have said politically, or the way I act in political matters, wonders Vestenfor. She is not sure if this is something the police should proceed with, but that she thinks it is important to report it. – I was wondering if this is a matter for the media, but maybe it is because it says something about being elected by the people. Expressing oneself politically, explains Vestenfor. – How problematic do you think it is in that context? – That is perhaps the most important thing to discuss in such a case. One thing is that this is happening to me now. There are others who experience far more serious threats, as far as I am concerned, I have also received this in other contexts. But we want this democracy. We want people to stand for election and for the residents of our own local communities to contribute in the same way as in charities in other places, says Vestenfor. – If we don’t have people who want it, then there won’t be any democracy either. People have to accept that one is not in agreement politically, adds the mayor. Have connected PST The police confirm that they have received the request from Vestenfor, and that they have chosen to share the information with the Police Security Service (PST). – I have great understanding that the mayor of Ål finds this unpleasant and perhaps a little frightening, says the police station chief in Hallingdal, Brit Fyksen. Brit Fyksen is the police station chief in Hallingdal. Photo: Helge Tvedten / news PST thus makes assessments as to whether extra security measures should be put in place. – It is actually to be expected that certain government officials will be exposed to pressure, harassment or threats. This also applies to local politicians. And fortunately it is the case that PST considers it unlikely that members of the government will be affected by serious acts of violence in Norway, says Fyksen. – Increased exposure increases vulnerability when it comes to unpleasant incidents like this one, adds the police station chief. – Can it be pure “gut streaks”? – I don’t use “gut lines”, but there are very unpleasant and unwanted incidents. It may be less serious, but at the same time I understand that the mayor finds this unpleasant, says Fyksen, who at the same time emphasizes that they are taking the incident seriously. Vestenfor hopes that people who disagree with her in the future will send letters to readers, call her or meet her on a bench in the shopping centre. – This is so incredibly vague. I have no idea what they are provoked by. Is it me personally, is it something I have said or is it a completely random joke?



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