Eight victims explained about a fight with an object in the center of Stavanger on Friday evening. Three boys under the age of 18 were charged. But the recent violent incidents in Stavanger are not the only ones committed by minors in recent times. Police Superintendent Jørgen Torstveit sees that they are getting younger and younger. – Now there are almost only 12-, 13- and 14-year-olds and these are serious matters, says Jørgen Torsveit. But Stavanger is not the only city that shouts a warning. More power and fewer resources In Bærum, a young man was stabbed and killed just before Christmas. The accused of murder is a 14-year-old boy. On Karmøy, the developmentally disabled Tor Inge Dahl was beaten and subjected to serious bodily harm in August. Sikta is a minor boy. Dahl is still in a minimally conscious state after the incident. Violence among young people in Norway increased in 2023, some police districts reported an increase of up to 40 percent. But police resources are scarcer in Rogaland than elsewhere in the country. For Sør-Vest police district, it is the district in Norway that has the lowest coverage. Police coverage here is 1.56 police man-years per 1,000 inhabitants, according to figures from the Norwegian Police Directorate. In comparison, Finnmark has 4.13, while the Oslo police district has 2.53 police man-years per 1,000 inhabitants. The lack of resources worries Høgre’s party leader Erna Solberg and the mayor of Stavanger, Sissel Knutsen Hegdal (H). On Monday, they met representatives from the police and SLT in Stavanger. Sissel Knutsen Hegdal (H) and Erna Solberg (H) met the police and the SLT coordinator in Stavanger to talk about the increasing youth crime in the city. Photo: Thomas Ystrøm / news Working for safety in the city – It is frightening to see that crime is catching up with some of our 14-year-olds. They have entered a terrible path in life, says Hegdal. The mayor of Stavanger looks out over the railway station in Stavanger. This is where the criminal acts often take place. The mayor believes that it is not acceptable that the police in Rogaland have fewer resources and that it is now important to help the young people concerned. – We are forced to react quickly to make the city center safe for the residents. We must also not react by removing the problem, but actually give them help, she says. Stavanger Mayor Sissel Knutsen Hegdal. Photo: Øystein Otterdal / Otterdal foto The mayor says that the feedback from the police is that the violence involves a small number of young people, most of whom are young boys. – In return, they commit many criminal acts. But we have no young people to lose. We have to get them involved in leisure activities, get them to take advantage of the various offers we have in Stavanger and make sure that they take care of their lives and don’t ruin them by becoming criminals at a young age, she says. – Preventive work is extremely important. We must take notice from Sweden. But this is probably linked to a tougher climate among children and young people, greater outsiders and financial challenges, Solberg believes. Disagree with Høgre Erna Solberg and Høgre last week launched ten measures in the fight against youth crime. One is to create 25 institutional places for young people who commit violence. The party believes that child protection should be responsible for these. Ine Haver (Ap) sits on the Stavanger city council. She disagrees with the proposal. Member of Stavanger city council, Ine Haver (Ap), wonders whether the courts and the Correctional Service can play a more active role in relation to young people who have passed the criminal minimum age. Photo: Eirik Gjesdal – Institutional child care cannot, in my opinion, handle young people with active violence problems, as Høgre suggests in his proposal. She believes that the legislation needs to be discussed in order to meet the problems of young people exercising power. – The most important thing is that any use of coercion against young perpetrators of violence has a preventive content, says Haver. 500 million more for the police State Secretary Sigve Bolstad (Sp) tells news that he is worried. State Secretary in the Ministry of Justice and Emergency Preparedness, Sigve Bolstad (Sp). Photo: Bård Nafstad / news – Like many other local politicians around the country, I am concerned about the increase in reported crime among those under 15. That’s why I’m glad this is on the agenda, he says. Schools, child protection and health services must work together with the police to prevent and overcome child and youth crime, Bolstad believes. He also refers to an increase in the grant to the police. – In the state budget for 2024, the government is increasing the budget for the police and prosecution by NOK 500 million, including PST, he says. In addition, a new proposal for changes to juvenile punishment and juvenile follow-up was recently adopted by the Storting. – The bill should help ensure that children and young people who break the law are met with a quick and effective response and that they get out of a criminal environment, says Bolstad.
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No police district has lower police coverage – at the same time youth violence is increasing – news Rogaland – Local news, TV and radio
