The matter in summary: Center party mayor in Hamarøy, Britt Kristoffersen Løksa, is concerned that the reopening of the police office in Steigen will come at the expense of the police service in Nord-Salten. Løksa believes it is unnatural to cut the Innhavet in order to create new positions in Steigen. The police in Nordland are facing major cutbacks, with plans to cut up to 50 man-years in 2023 and 2024. The Ministry of Justice and Emergency Preparedness assures that the reopening of the Steigen office is financed through its own budget funds and will not affect the rest of the police district. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAi. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. Earlier this year, the government came up with something they thought was good news: They will reopen nine police offices that were closed down by the previous government. One of them in Steigen, in the Nord-Salten region in Nordland. Five new police officers will be employed here. But where will they come from? During 2023 and 2024, Nordland police district must cut up to 50 man-years due to tight finances. When the police office in Steigen was closed down, a completely new police office was built in the neighboring municipality of Hamarøy. Fears of “cannibalisation” Several of the applicants for the new police office in Steigen come from here. Now the Hamarøy mayor fears that these will not be replaced and that there will thus be no more police officers in the region. Mayor of Hamarøy, Britt Kristoffersen Løksa (Sp), the Hamarøy mayor from the Center Party fears that the reopening of the police office in Steigen and the cuts in the Nordland police district will come at the expense of the police staff in her municipality. Photo: Svetlana Gracheva – It was not the government’s intention when they wanted to restore police service stations that they would weaken the neighbour, says Britt Kristoffersen Løksa. It has just built a brand new office in Innhavet, in Hamarøy municipality. But now they have to staff an office in the neighboring municipality of Steigen, where they do not have suitable premises. Løksa says she registers that several of those who currently work in Hamarøy have applied for the advertised positions in Steigen. – People are faced with cuts in the police in Nordland, and then point to the Innhavet as a place to cut, because new positions are to be created in Steigen. I think that is unnatural. I expect those people to be replaced in that case, she says. This is what the police think: news has asked the police at the nine places in question what they think about these places of service being restored. They have responded as follows: Engerdal: Did not want a new office Meråker: Did not want a new office and believes it is against the police professional advice Steigen: Did not want a new office Sandefjord and Sigdal: Against the police professional advice Salangen: Did not want a new office Oslo: Positive for a new office at Mortensrud Hvaler: Positive for new office Stranda: Positive for new office in Geiranger For the mayor, it’s about a visible and present police. – I expect the police to come out with a strengthened preparedness. When the Innhavet police service station was established, it had consequences for both Steigen and Hamarøy. Both lost their offices in the municipal centers when we got this combined office, she says. Must reduce staffing significantly The police believe they themselves need 1,600 new police officers to meet the government’s requirements for staffing. At the same time, more than half of newly graduated police officers are without a job. Steigen in Nordland has around 2,500 inhabitants, and is among the places where the police are establishing a new service station. Five police officers will be employed, and these will be stationed here at the town hall. Photo: photo: Steigen municipality Nevertheless, it seems that the police in Nordland, like many other police districts, will have to downsize heavily. – We cannot say that anything in the Nordland police district is protected, beyond the fact that there will be five employees in Steigen. These are the realities, says Robin Johnsen, who is head of Salten in the Nordland police district. The police say it is against their advice and will, and that they will use the resources differently. Leader of the police union in Nordland, Marina Sørgård believes it is wrong to restore the office in Steigen. – We cannot afford it. We have now built a brand new police station at Innhavet, and those who were previously in Steigen now work at that service office. According to Sørgård, the police office at Innhavet may be left without police after cuts in the number of posts have been implemented. Marina Sørgård, head of the Police Union in Nordland, calls the process surrounding the police office in Steigen and downsizing in the police otherwise madness. Photo: MARKUS THONHAUGEN / news – It is because of the budget situation. Up to 50 positions are to be cut in Nordland, and there are no positions other than Steigen that are protected, she says. – There will be fewer people across the district. In that case, Innhavet will also be one of the offices being assessed. Gets own budget funds The Ministry of Justice and Emergency Preparedness tells news that the police office in Steigen does not come at the expense of the rest of the police district. That is because it is financed through own budget funds. This is according to State Secretary in the Ministry of Justice and Emergency Preparedness, Sigve Bolstad (Sp). – So they will not be at the expense of service locations in the same area. The biggest expenses for the new duty stations are for the police officers who will work there, not for rent, he says. The previous leader of the Norwegian Police Federation, Sigve Bolstad, was appointed state secretary in the Ministry of Justice and Emergency Preparedness earlier in October. Photo: Daphne Steketee / news According to Bolstad, they have strengthened the police at every opportunity, most recently this summer the Nordland police district received NOK 19.5 million in additional funding. – At the same time, the price increase hits the police hard. Next year, we therefore propose to prioritize the police with 2 billion more. Both to cover the rise in prices, but also 500 million in fresh investments. – Be there for the local communities Justice and Emergency Services Minister Emilie Enger Mehl (Sp) said on Dagsnytt 18 on Tuesday that the point of the new police service locations is to be on the spot and work sheep-building. Here she uses Oslo as an example. – We believe that we should also have a police station at Mortensrud with a permanent presence, which can be there for the local community in everyday life. We are establishing at Nesodden and many other places in Norway where we believe that people also need closeness. It is sheep-building. Justice and Emergency Services Minister Emilie Enger Mehl (Sp) said on Dagsnytt 18 that the point of the new police service locations is to be there.
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Hamarøy’s mayor expresses concern about the police service offered after the reopening of the Steigen office – news Nordland
