– We do not feel safe, especially at night. There is no help to get from the police if we need it. That’s what a driver in Egersund Taxi says. He does not wish to appear with his name and picture. He says that drivers experience unpleasant incidents every week. – People have been afraid and did not want to drive at night. Now the drivers have much lower shoulders. Lack of resources in the local police creates frustration and unrest in Dalane. Egersund Taxi has now chosen to remain closed at night, with the exception of Friday and Saturday nights. The reason is escalating crime and a lack of presence from the police. This is what chairman Espen Nilsen says to Dalane Tidene, who wrote about the matter first. At weekends, around twelve cars are at work. The drivers can then call a colleague if they need help. On weekdays, however, there is only one driver at night. They find that the police are often not on the scene until closer to an hour has passed, if situations that require assistance arise. – When we have called them and asked for help recently, the feedback has been that there are no available police for 30 to 60 minutes. It is a difficult situation for us, says Nilsen to the newspaper. – The money has not reached Dalane Bente Gro Slettebø, county council candidate in Rogaland and mayoral candidate in Bjerkreim (Sp), reacts strongly to the news about Egersund Taxi. – I think this is the final straw. It is not sustainable at all. Photo: Gunnar Morsund / news Together with central SP politicians in Dalane, she now sounds the alarm about the situation. – It cannot be the case that the taxi center can only be open when there are enough people at work to help each other. Last week it was announced that 10 new police stations will be opened in the country. – Some people think it is too far to the nearest police station, and that the police are not present enough, said Justice and Emergency Services Minister Emilie Enger Mehl (Sp) when the news was presented. In Egersund, on the other hand, they have to make do with the resources they have. On 6 September, Mehl will visit Dalane, and then Slettebø expects the minister to come up with a solution to the police crisis. – The government has promised money, but it has not reached Dalane, she says. – By far the least amount of money Per Anders Rosjorde, local team leader in the South-West Police Union, confirms that the police in the South-West police district have received too little money to maintain staffing. – It is never nice to hear that people are afraid that it will take a long time for the police to come. Per Anders Rosjorde, local team leader in the South-West Police Union. Photo: Privat On the other hand, he is happy that no new police offices will be opened in the South-West. – It would have been wiser to give more money to staffing the police. We are starting to face a preparedness challenge. He points out that the South-West police district is the worst in the country when it comes to funds distributed by the police directorate. – We get by far the least per inhabitant in the country. Siri Fisketjøn Indrebø, operating unit manager for Jæren, Sandnes and Dalane, believes the staffing is satisfactory. At the same time, he would have liked to have more resources for the Sør-West police district and the Egersund police station district. – The resources are distributed based on the allocated budget. Distribution of resources is based, among other things, on the number of assignments and the crime profile, and then the staffing is satisfactory in Dalane, she says. Siri Fisketjøn Indrebø, operating unit manager for Jæren, Sandnes and Dalane. Photo: Erik Waage / news Ifølgje Indrebø, no cases have been reported to the police by the taxi industry in Egersund. – We first became aware of this problem a few weeks ago. But I have great understanding of what the taxi industry describes, and we take it very seriously. She says that urgent inquiries must be dialed in to 112. – The message is sent to the police operations centre. Here, assessments are made before a patrol is sent on the mission. If the patrol is in another place, it must be expected that it will take some time. The district must be seen Mayor Odd Stangeland (Ap) in Eigersund believes that Dalane has come out badly from the police reform that led to a more centralized police. Mayor Odd Stangeland (Ap) in Eigersund. Photo: Erik Waage / news – It is a situation we cannot live with. It is essential for everyone to be able to walk in their surroundings and know that if something happens, the police are there. Now he believes that something extraordinary must be done to restore security. – So that the taxis can once again be a service offer for residents at night.
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Egersund Taxi remains closed at night because the drivers feel unsafe – news Rogaland – Local news, TV and radio
