– A police political scandal, concluded SV’s justice policy spokesperson, Andreas Sjalg Unneland, when the Role Understanding Committee presented its report in January. The committee unanimously concluded that there was insufficient separation between the role of the police and the Norwegian Narcotics Police Association. Among other things, they established that police officers were in uniform at times when they were actually giving lectures for the private association Norwegian Narcotics Police Association (NNPF). In addition, the police handed over training tasks in both doping and drug policy issues to the NNPF. – A police scandal, Storting representative Andreas Sjalg Unneland calls the mix of roles between the police and the NNPF Photo: Ole Berg-Rusten / NTB In the Storting on Thursday, Unneland asked a number of questions to the Minister of Justice, who has so far been careful not to comment on the report. In her reply to the Storting, Emilie Enger Mehl said that it is important to distinguish between the roles of the police and the association. At the same time, she defended the police. – I take the conclusion seriously. But I would like to warn against drawing conclusions too far, that there is a general crisis of confidence in the police. Yes to changing name Sjalg Unneland also wanted to know if the Minister of Justice agreed that NNPF should change its name. Minister of Justice and Emergency Preparedness Emilie Enger Mehl received the role allocation committee’s report from chair Anne-Mette Magnussen in January. Photo: Håkon Mosvold Larsen / NTB Emilie Enger Mehl said she supports the proposal to remove the word “police” from the private association. Both Anne-Mette Magnussen, leader of the Role Understanding Committee, and police director Benedicte Bjørnland have supported the idea that the Norwegian Narcotics Police Association should change its name, to ensure that the public understands the distinction between the private association and the work of the police. Trust in the police – It is quite obvious, but I want a clear answer from the minister as to whether the findings in this report have damaged trust in the Norwegian police, said Unneland, who himself believes the answer is yes. He received support from Venstre’s Ingvild Wetrhus Thorsvik, who accused Mehl of having been passive in following up the Role Understanding Committee’s report. In the Storting, Thorsvik called the mix of roles both a democratic and rule of law problem – We must have clear roles and people must know when they are acting on behalf of the police and when they are acting on behalf of an organisation, Mehl said. The Minister of Justice denies that the mix of roles may also have led to police officers going too far in using coercive measures in less serious drug cases. The Attorney General has previously pointed out that the police have not been authorized to use force in a number of such cases. – I have no reason to assume that this is the case. What is discovered there has been followed up by the police and the Norwegian Police Directorate. It is not the case that every single police officer has deliberately made a mistake. Warns against misuse of the report – Has this case harmed the Norwegian police? Unneland wanted to know. Mehl replied that she does not share the opinion that the Norwegian police have failed, as several of the representatives from SV, MDG and Rødt have advocated. She warned against drawing the conclusions in the report too far, because she believed it could weaken trust in the police. – Police officers are out there to create security in society, and prevent the use of drugs, which this government does not want to decriminalise, said the Minister of Justice. – We must of course clear up unclear boundaries and we must take seriously the report’s conclusions about an unfortunate mix of roles. But we must also remember that the Norwegian police have a high level of trust in the population, Mehl said. – Witch trial Frps Per-Willy Amundsen does not agree with the criticism of the Norwegian Narcotics Police Association, which he believes has forced a liberalization of Norwegian drug policy. – NNPF has saved generations from drug hell, said the former Minister of Justice in the Storting. He believed that the Norwegian Narcotics Police Association had been exposed to what he called a witch trial against the association. He himself believed that the NNPF had done an important job in saving children from drugs. – I have nothing but praise to give to the Norwegian Narcotics Police Association, said Per-Willy Amundsen. Here are some of the Role Understanding Committee’s most important findings: There has not been a sufficient distinction between the role of police and member of the Norwegian Narcotics Police Association (NNPF). Professional development and skills development within drug policy and doping have been largely left to the private organisation. Both police officers and students have been sent to courses under the auspices of the NNPF, and some of these have been compulsory. The police and the Ministry of Justice’s payments to the NNPF have not been in line with the financial regulations. Membership in the NNPF has sometimes been a prerequisite for receiving benefits as a police employee – salary and promotion in the agency have been linked to the NNPF’s competence-enhancing measures. There is a particular need for further research on justifications for and effects of preventive measures
ttn-69
