– It is very gratifying. We have missed the presence of the police in the municipality, so we are very, very happy about that, says acting mayor in Engerdal, Terje Langfloen (Samlingslista). On Friday, it was announced that the government is opening nine police service stations around the country with new police positions. Engerdal in Innlandet is one of the municipalities that is getting back the police station that was closed in 2017. – It is very important. We have a municipality that is large in area with large distances, scattered residential areas and widespread tourism. For proximity and response time, this is very important, says Langfloen. Opened in the summer, the local police reform, which was carried out by the Solberg government, reduced the number of police stations in Norway from 340 to 217. One of the police offices that was closed down was in Stranda on Sunnmøre. Mayor Jan Ove Tryggestad (Sp) has for a long time pointed to the need for a police station in Geiranger during the summer season. – It is gratifying and I am very satisfied that the government has settled the matter. We have recorded the need to strengthen the police’s presence in Geiranger during the tourist season, and this time we have been successful. – But is there a need for a separate local police station in Geiranger? – Not in a 12-month perspective, but on an ordinary summer day in June, we have between 15,000 and 20,000 visitors to Geiranger. In other words, we are a medium-sized Norwegian city without any form of adaptive preparedness. We have strengthened the fire brigade and a service linked to the ambulance service, but the presence of the police has been somewhat random. Now we get it permanently, and it’s a fantastic strength. He hopes and expects that the reopened police station will be in place for this year’s tourist season. Served as an emergency hotel For hotel director at Hotel Union Geiranger, Mona Mjelva, it was a pleasure to receive the news that Geiranger will have police during the summer. – We have functioned as an emergency hotel and had many situations that were actually police cases, so this should be very good, says Mjelva. – How have they functioned as an emergency hotel? – We have received questions directly from the police about helping them in various situations because they are not present in the blink of an eye. It can be anything from threatening people, traffic situations, to people who have fallen into the waterfall. EMERGENCY: Hotel Union in Geiranger has functioned as an emergency hotel when the police have not been present in the village. Photo: Remi Sagen / news She believes that the police during the tourist season is very important for the safety of the citizens. – In a big city, it is common to have both the police and a doctor. In Geiranger, we have a doctor for three and a half hours a week, and the police have not been on the scene, so this provides security in the village with so many situations that can arise, says Mjelva. – Important When the police office in Salangen municipality in Troms was closed in 2017, the municipality complained about the decision but was not listened to. Mayor of Salangen municipality, Sigrun Wiggen Prestbakmo (Sp) is overwhelmed by the news that the police office in the municipality will be reopened. – We are very happy in Salangen today. It is important for the experience of safety and preparedness, and not least for the actual preparedness. She says that the municipality has ended up completely on the fringes of preparedness and patrol activities after 2017. – Having available police resources that also carry out preventive outreach in the afternoon and evening is important, says Prestbakmo. Municipality that will get new service stations in 2023: Engerdal (Inlandet police district). Hvaler (East police district). Summer season only. Meråker (Trøndelag police district). Oslo (Mortensrud in the Oslo police district). Salangen (Troms police district). Sandefjord (Torp airport in the South-East police district). Sigdal (South-East police district). Steigen (Nordland police district). Stranda (Geiranger in Møre and Romsdal police district). Summer season only. It’s about safety Reopening more police stations was an election promise from the Center Party in the parliamentary election campaign. – Neighborhood police reform showed exactly what the Center Party was worried about. This has led to the police being less visible, less present and less out among people, believes Margrethe Harr, parliamentary representative for the Center Party. – It has been a clear goal for the Center Party, and it is also clear in the Hurdal platform that they want to create more service centers and now the government is taking action and creating nine new service centers around the country, she says. The Storting representative believes that the new police service stations will ensure that the response time is reduced. – Not least, there will be more visible police on weekdays. It’s about building safety for people, it’s about building trust in the police and it’s about ensuring good cooperation routines and cooperation in general between the various emergency services, says Harr. Skuffa While several mayors rejoice over the re-opening of police offices, the mayor of Årdal municipality, Hilmar Høl (Ap), is disappointed. The industrial municipality in Indre Sogn is the only one in Vestland that has had a strong desire to get the police office back as it was before the reform. Today, the office is only open by appointment. – It is a pity. We have done our bit, but didn’t get the office this time either. Then it’s just a matter of waiting in case something else happens, says Høl. The industrial municipality has around 5,000 inhabitants, Hydra, Schengen port and power installations. – We think we are such a large municipality in Indre Sogn and should have our own police station, says the mayor. Today, Årdal has a police office which is open by appointment. In addition, there is one smaller police office in Aurland, and one larger office in Lærdal. – It is a very narrow offer, and this means that there are far too few police officers in Indre Parish. It is a challenge that the police must address, he says.
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Mayors celebrate new police offices in the district – news Innlandet – Local news, TV and radio
