On the night of Saturday, four men were told by the police that they had to leave central Bergen. They didn’t want that. Then the next stop was the drunken arrest. – They have not realized their own best interests and have ended up in drunkenness arrest, says head of operations in the West police district, Tatjana Knappen. A little further north in Vestland, there was also unrest during the night to Saturday. In Førde, no one was arrested, but one had to be driven home by the police, one was shown away from the city center, and one was put on the ground. What they all have in common is that they are men in their 30s and 40s. Also in Trøndelag police district, operations manager Ebbe Kimo has observed a clear pattern. As the Christmas party outfit is taken out of the cupboard, the pattern repeats itself every December. The police have the impression that many people drink more at Christmas parties than they normally do. Photo: Gorm Kallestad / NTB scanpix Kimo has worked in the police since the beginning of the 90s and in the operations center for 11 years. – At the operations center we talk about it every Christmas party season: There are always some nice teams that end up with arguments, fights and drunken arrests. This is how it is every single year, says Kimo to news. – Well-grown without a police history The otherwise atypical “drunk arrest guest” is usually a well-grown person who should have a good time with his colleagues. – In principle, the best can happen. The well-grown one without any previous history with the police, says Kimo. He points out that many people prefer not to drink that often, and perhaps do not know their own limits. – Then it can suddenly overflow. But the threshold for ending up behind bars with the police is quite high, according to the operations manager in Trøndelag. He points out that there are usually two types of behavior that end up in prison. You are so drunk that you are unable to take care of yourself. You are the reason why a situation arises, a so-called disorder. – Sometimes I don’t think it’s advisable to drive you home, says Kimo about the first type. And if you cause trouble, the police will assess whether you want to continue with this. – You will be seen in custody if we judge that you will only be a recurring problem in the clubs, and I think you will benefit from a few hours in custody before you are allowed to go out on the streets again, says Kimo. There are mainly two types of behavior that can even lead to a trip to prison. Both types are often associated with alcohol. Photo: Kelsey Chance / Unsplash Often argue about work The Oslo police district also confirms that the number of adults who end up in drunken arrest increases during the Christmas party season. It is often internal arguments and a lot of alcohol that lead to the police having to move out. – The usual thing is when workplaces have a Christmas party and two people start arguing loudly, and then it degenerates into an argument, says operations manager at the Oslo police district, Tore Solberg. He points out that there is often a lot of alcohol in the picture. A Christmas table often means good food and drink. And arguing? Photo: Gorm Kallestad / NTB scanpix – And then there are fights that they can’t stop on their own, so they have to call the police, he says. Solberg underlines that even if it has been frustration at the workplace several times that is the cause of the quarrels, this does not mean that it is the main reason for conflicts. He also points out that many drink more than they are used to. “The next day” is mostly the same for everyone But many young adults have also caused trouble around the country. Both with the police in Nordland and with the police in the South-East, most of the people who have been turned away or arrested are in their 20s. But regardless of age and gender, the situation is largely the same when you wake up in the drunken jail. A Norwegian police arrest. Photo: Ole Andreas Bø – When they wake up and get a few hours to spare, the regrets often come. Someone is wondering what has happened and has probably not quite understood why they are there. It probably means that they have become a little too drunk, says Tore Solberg in Oslo. And before you can go home the next morning, you usually get a fine, a so-called simplified sentence. – If you accept it, you are done with the case, but if you refuse, the case will be followed up in the legal system, says Solberg.
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