– Here you go, a receipt for you. It’s not a ticket, only a receipt! Police officer Julie tries to give a note to two men in central Oslo. It is evening and the two were seen urinating along a wall in a side street to Karl Johan. You can normally be fined for that, but Julie and her colleague choose to expel the two men instead. After a chat that requires a lot of patience and a bit of Google translation, the two are on their way. And so they have a receipt in their pocket – not a fine. The police see two men standing and urinating against a wall at Karl Johans gate in Oslo. They are stopped by the police. The police must now identify everyone they control. It can take time – especially when someone doesn’t speak particularly good English or Norwegian, and they aren’t completely sober either. Even if the two don’t get fined, they think they will when Julie hands them the receipt. They are only expelled from the center until the next morning. – We had some challenges in reaching them. I’m a little unsure whether it’s due to language or drunkenness, chuckles mate Halvor Grønli. One in four says no The men who needed to pee were two of a total of 31 people who received a receipt from the police this Thursday. Since the beginning of December, the police in Oslo have tested a so-called receipt scheme. For one and a half months, the police at the city center police station have been involved in the test. Only if you are stopped within this area can you be offered a receipt. People who are checked by the police receive a note with information about who has been stopped, why and by whom. The first figures show that: 791 people have been checked during this time. Of these, 188 have chosen not to receive a receipt. This means that almost one in four say no. The vast majority in this period, 500 people, have been stopped because the police have used the law’s provisions on peace and order. The receipt scheme From 5 December 2022 to 3 September 2023, the receipt scheme will be tested within a defined area of central Oslo. You only get a receipt if the police stop you because of… Public order. Section 7 of the Police Act gives quite broad powers in this regard, In case of weapons control, in Section 7 a of the Police Act, In case of a visit, for example if they want to have clarity on someone’s identity (Section 10 of the Police Act, Section 162 of the Criminal Code), In case of a police check (not a mass check, but f .e.g. in the case of irregularities when driving or with the car (Road Traffic Act § 10), Immigration Control, e.g. if the police have reason to believe someone is in the country illegally (Immigration Act Section 21). Only officers associated with the city center police station, the Oslo police’s emergency unit and the immigration unit are involved in the project. Anyone who is stopped on the basis of any of this must be offered a receipt. This is a piece of paper with information about the place, time, name and date of birth of the person being checked, why you have been stopped (registration) and the service number of the person who was checked. You can say no, but the police will still want to have recorded the check. Some situations do not qualify for a receipt: Voluntary talks and other public meetings Pre-planned traffic controls Collective measures under the Police Act (for example expulsion in the event of gatherings) Border control In the case of incidents where evacuation is carried out, e.g. fire Source: The police Takes time, but builds trust Police Superintendent Grønli has been given responsibility for the practical implementation of the project. He says that the arrangement is unfamiliar to people. – This is probably unknown to people in Oslo who come into contact with the police. Some are happy, while others get annoyed because we are taking up their time. And some people think we give a fee or notice, and don’t understand what this is. OUT ON PATROL: Halvor Grønli and his partner Julie, who do not want their surname in print, got a quiet watch when news was on. Photo: Christopher Isachsen Sandøy / news Colleague and police officer Julie also highlights this with time use. Because even if you refuse a receipt, everyone who is checked must now be formally identified by the police. It may take time. But she also highlights positive aspects of the scheme. – People think it’s great that the police have a reputation for what they do; that people actually get documentation that they have been checked by the police and that the check is legitimate. – If we have not been clear enough before, we will probably be clearer now on the basis that someone is being checked, adds Grønli. Has received criticism A receipt scheme is something that several organizations have wanted for a long time. It is because of suspicions that the police treat people differently, for example on the basis of skin color or ethnicity. But the solution that applies now received criticism when it was launched. The reason is that things like ethnicity and skin color are not recorded. As a result, some believe that any discrimination cannot be mapped. The police reply that they are not allowed to register, among other things, skin colour, because it is very strictly regulated. THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE: And even if you say no, the police will record the information anyway. Photo: Christopher Isachsen Sandøy / news “Very nice arrangement” When the trial project is over in September, it will be evaluated by someone outside the police. The third and last person that the evening’s patrol checks also accepts a receipt. – He came from a country where they do not have as much trust in the police as there is in Norway. He thinks this receipt arrangement was a very nice arrangement. I am very happy about that, says Julie. ONE IN BLÅSEREKKA: The breathalyzer was found when this driver was a little aggressive in traffic. He liked the offer of a receipt, according to police. Photo: Christopher Isachsen Sandøy / news
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Many say no to receipt – news Oslo og Viken – Local news, TV and radio
