The case in summary: The police have arrested many boat drivers for drink-driving and speeding offences. The police have received criticism for having little presence along the coast, and cannot afford permanent staffing of the police boats in Telemark. There have already been several situations on the lake, including a boat collision. Storting representative Bård Hoksrud is critical of the police’s priorities and expects the Minister of Justice to take action. The police in Telemark say they do not have the opportunity to take in enough summer temporary workers for an optimal boat service. The government has strengthened the police with NOK 1.6 billion in the revised national budget, but the police in Telemark say they cannot spend money they do not yet know if they have. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAi. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. – The result of these controls was disappointing. We have arrested many for drink-driving and speeding offences, says traffic and maritime coordinator in the police in Telemark Nils Anders Bruun. The police have been criticized from several quarters for not being very present along the coast. They themselves have received feedback that it is the “wild west” and “free forward” on the sea. Both in Vestfold and Agder, the police have people in the police boats throughout the summer. But in Telemark, the police cannot afford to permanently staff the boats. Popular tourist spots such as Kragerø, Langesund and Brevik are thus without a police boat for large parts of the summer. But at the weekend the police boat was manned and had control of the sea between Bamble and Kragerø. On Sunday afternoon, the police were out with two boats on either side of a heavily trafficked area. – 90 percent of everyone who drove past was speeding too fast. In the end we just had to give up, says Bruun. Hit by a boat There have already been several scary situations along the coast. Among other things, two young boys were hit outside Kragerø earlier this summer. – It could have ended fatally. If my son had driven a smaller boat, it would have been smashed, says Jan Cranner. Jan Cranner says he is glad his son drove a 26-foot Nidelv. – If they had been out in a smaller boat, they would have been crushed, he says. Photo: Stian Wåsjø Simonsen / news Cranner is the father of 16-year-old Jonatan, who was hit by a rib. The boat driver who drove Jonatan and a friend ran away after the collision, says the father. – It is hair-raising that the police are so little present on the lake. There is so much pressure here, with so many boats, that there must be checks from the police here, says Cranner. Storting representative for the Progressive Party, Bård Hoksrud, is also critical of the police’s priorities. Bård Hoksrud (Frp) believes the police must be at sea to prevent. Photo: Stian Wåsjø Simonsen / news – When the police are not present, serious things can happen. It is about prevention and people’s safety. I expect the chief of police and not least the minister of justice to take action and ensure that the police are at sea, says Hoksrud. Not enough summer substitutes The Chief of Police in the South-East police district is on holiday and cannot answer news’s questions. But the head of the police in Telemark responds. – We do not have the opportunity to take in as many summer temporary workers as we would really like in order to provide an optimal boat service. But we are certainly present at sea, and will be present as often as we can, says Dag Størksen. news has tried to get hold of the Minister of Justice and Emergency Situations, Emilie Enger Mehl, without getting a response. But State Secretary in the Ministry of Justice and Emergency Services Hans-Petter Aasen (Sp) replies that the police must be able to have good preparedness both on land and on water. State Secretary in the Ministry of Justice and Emergency Services Hans-Petter Aasen (Sp). Photo: Rune Kongsro / Ministry of Justice and Emergency Preparedness – The government has strengthened the police with NOK 1.6 billion in the revised national budget, among other things to increase their room for action and the ability to deliver on their social mission, he writes in an email. Read the full response from the ministry at the bottom of the case. Størksen in the police in Telemark says they cannot spend money they do not yet know if they have. – We do not yet know how much of this money from the national budget we will receive. We also have an overspend on our budget this year, so it may mean that the money we receive will only contribute to us breaking even, says Størksen of the Telemark police. The full answer from State Secretary Hans-Petter Aasen (Sp): The police must be able to have good preparedness both on land and on water. The government has strengthened the police with NOK 1.6 billion in the revised national budget, among other things to increase their room for action and the ability to deliver on their social mission. The money is now distributed among the police districts. The police’s sea service is an important part of preparedness to save lives and prevent accidents at sea, and we know that the police’s presence with patrols on the sea has a good and preventive effect. It is the chief of police in the South-East police district who is responsible for having satisfactory preparedness in his district, based on local assessments. This also includes ensuring a police presence on the sea in Telemark. We expect that the strengthening the government has now proposed in the revised national budget will also improve the police district’s room for action. Published 06.07.2024, at 21.08
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