What would you do if the policeman who kept giving you fines quit his job? Maybe you would have cheered. Maybe breathed a sigh of relief. Well, Harestad Bygg at Randaberg chose a motorcade and honors. He also booked them in as toastmaster at the Christmas table. Better to meet him there, than on the road, says the boss with a twinkle in his eye. Even though they have received fines for both high speed and using a hand-held mobile phone in the car. – And there came a tear It was a clearly moved Tommy Stoltenberg who stood outside the police station in Stavanger, while a number of cars from Harestad Bygg drove past honking their horns with Norwegian flags. – I’m speechless. This will be a wonderful memory of my last day in the police, says Stoltenberg, as the cars drive past. – And there came a tear. A clearly moved Tommy Stoltenberg looks at the row of cars honking and waving flags outside the police station in Stavanger. Photo: Arild Eskeland / news Stoltenberg started in the Sør-Vest police district in 1989, and over time has become a familiar figure to those who travel along the road in Rogaland. As a traffic policeman, he has contributed to safe roads, and he has traveled around schools with the show “It’s not hard to be dead”. He has also run adult education in Stavanger Aftenblad’s series “Trafikksentralen”. Many cars took part in the procession, and made sure to stop for red lights. Photo: Arild Eskeland / news – Has earned it Stoltenberg has also had a lot to say for Harestad Bygg. The construction company has had its own Stoltenberg item in the budget to be able to pay fines issued by the officer. Now they chose to honor him on his last working day in the police – with a motorcade. Frank Harestad is general manager of Harestad Bygg. He hopes the company will save some money, now that Stoltenberg is leaving. Photo: Arild Eskeland / news – It’s mostly humour! We thought that we would now save around NOK 1 million a year. That we could offer customers more reasonable prices, but we’ll see, says Frank Harestad, and looks away at Stoltenberg’s colleagues as he laughs heartily. Harestad is general manager of Harestad Bygg. He has hit on Stoltenberg quite a lot – for better or for worse, as he says himself. – When I have received a fine, I have deserved it. I have also learned. Now I drive somewhat later, and I have got a hands-free system in the car. – Beintøft Harestad says that he has been in pain for getting angry when Stoltenberg fined him: – Tommy is just smiling, I say I deserve it, and that’s how it is. And he’s right. How you are met in such a situation has a lot to say. If the police are just angry and yelling, you will be angry too. Stoltenberg points out that it is tough to issue fines of almost NOK 10,000 to people. – It’s tough, then. And it’s never personal, but there is a solution: Follow the traffic rules. The mentor Colleague Aleksander Naley will miss the man he describes as a mentor. – This cortege is well deserved. He has done much right, which this proves. I think we will notice that he disappears. He has been a rock and a mentor, and has shown me the importance of meeting people in a good way. Tommy Stoltenberg and colleague Aleksander Naley have worked together for a long time. Naley will miss her mentor. Photo: Arild Eskeland / news Naley was one of those who received Stoltenberg and “It’s not hard to be dead” on a school visit as a youngster. A performance Stoltenberg has performed 1,300 times during his career. It was this performance that made Naley want to become a police officer. – He showed young people what consequences recklessness in traffic could have. If I remember correctly, there weren’t many dry eyes in the hall, says Naley. Aleksander Naley remembers Stoltenberg’s performance well. Photo: Arild Eskeland / news
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Police officer Tommy Stoltenberg was celebrated by those he fined – news Rogaland – Local news, TV and radio
