– I am impressed by the form of the report, and at the same time I was a little embarrassed when I read the conclusions and recommendations from the committee. There are such obvious conclusions, said Attorney General Jørn Maurud on the podium earlier this week. He then participated in a panel discussion on the Role Understanding Committee’s report, which found that the police and the drug policy organization NNPF had too close links. Director of Police Benedicte Bjørnland and Rector Nina Skarpenes at the Norwegian Police Academy also took part in the conversation. They described it as “painful” to read the report. The Attorney General believes it is embarrassing that the justice sector has not seen the committee’s recommendations as itself. – It is a shame that the title “in the blind zone” has been used up, because the report should have been called something like that, said Maurud. Among other things, the committee advised the police to be clearer about whether they represent the police or the organization out among the public, to train their own employees themselves instead of leaving this to a private political association, and to follow the state’s financial regulations. On all points, the committee which investigated the relationship between the police and the association for a year believes that the police failed. They also advised the NNPF to change its name. – Obvious things that have failed – That the police must be responsible for training their own personnel, that you must follow the rules regarding financial transfers to organisations, that you must strive to avoid misunderstandings about who you represent. There are obviously things that have failed in the agency’s relationship with this association, says the attorney general to news. – Why has it failed? – It is a good question, the report does not answer it. And I feel it will be difficult to speculate, there are many different points of view, Maurud begins: – I think it probably has a certain connection with the fact that the perception of the goals for Norwegian drug policy has been so consistent for many years: A zero vision of drugs in Norwegian society and that a prerequisite for making this happen is high attention, criminalization and punishment. – But following the state’s financial regulations and training one’s own personnel really has nothing to do with drug policy? – No, that’s exactly what it doesn’t have. But it is not a given that the NNPF has been perceived as a drug political organisation. There hasn’t really been any disagreement in that area until recent years. It is written in the report that this association has probably primarily contributed to filling a gap that has been there, namely to provide competence and training to those who are to investigate drug cases. Was a member himself for 25 years When Maurud became state prosecutor in 1995, he was “strongly encouraged” to join the organization in order to get professional training. He did so – and remained until the debate on drug reform around 2020. – I had not really reflected much on the fact that the NNPF had a clear drug policy profile until the drug policy discussion gained momentum a few years ago, and it occurred to me that I did not agree on some of the issues they worked for politically. And then I wouldn’t be a member anymore. When the Solberg government presented its proposal for drug reform, a debate arose about what kind of tools the police can use to solve minor drug cases. The Attorney General sent out a circular and clarified that the police could not use means such as blood tests, searches of persons and mobile phones to find out whether someone has used drugs, or is carrying them. The specification has been disputed. Later, the office investigated how widespread the misinterpretation of the law was. In the Role Understanding Committee’s report, questions are also raised as to whether NNPF’s training of police officers, including in doping crime, may have led to the police for many years going further than the Attorney General says they are allowed to do. – This with improper use of coercive measures and so on. I don’t know if it’s something you should blame the NNPF for alone, that is. Not least us who represent the prosecution. – In the report, lines were drawn between NNPF’s training of the police in doping and possible misconceptions of the search regulations. See those lines? – I have to confess that I have never familiarized myself with that training program there. I have not had the opportunity to do so. The NNPF and the committee do not quite agree on what has been communicated and what has not been communicated, and it is more a matter for PHS to clear up, replies the attorney general.
ttn-69
The Attorney General “was a little embarrassed” when he read a report on role mixing in the police – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
