This is revealed in a letter from the Minister of Justice and Emergency Preparedness. – Now it is written in black and white that the government chose not to listen to the Directorate of Police, says Høyre’s justice policy spokesperson, Sveinung Stensland. He has put written questions to the Minister of Justice and Emergency Situations, Emilie Enger Mehl, and asked what professional advice the Directorate of Police gave the ministry in connection with the 20 new police offices. Now he has an answer. In the response, the Minister of Justice and Emergency Preparedness writes, among other things: “POD has not recommended the establishment of new service centers (…)”. Stensland is critical that the government has chosen to defy the recommendations. – This confirms what we have said, that here the government has chosen to override professional police advice in order to implement a policy that no one wants, he says. The Conservative Party’s justice policy spokesperson Sveinung Stensland will put forward a proposal in the Storting to gain access to the professional police councils. Photo: Rosa Irén Villalobos / news Wants insight The Minister of Justice and Emergency Preparedness says there has been an input round with the municipalities, and that the Norwegian Police Directorate has made its recommendations. – And then we have made a political decision based on that, says Emilie Enger Mehl to news. Center party leader Trygve Slagsvold Vedum used much of the 2021 election campaign to talk about police close to people – all over the country. When the Center Party came into government in autumn 2021, they got into the Hurdal platform that 20 police stations should be established. Some were to be restored, others are brand new. A survey carried out by news at the end of August shows that seven out of 19 municipalities that get a police station had less than 100 reports in the whole of last year. The establishment of the police offices has also been criticized by several police chiefs. Several say the new offices are against professional advice or that they did not want a new place of employment. However, the specific advice that the Norwegian Police Directorate has given to the Ministry of Justice and Emergency Preparedness is exempt from public disclosure. Now Stensland will take the matter further in the Storting. During the throne speech debate in October, he will put forward proposals for transparency in the professional police councils. – I will put forward a proposal in the Storting to gain access to the professional police advice that the government is now refusing to give me. I want to see the basis for the decision and what the police have actually said, he says. – Do you think you will get a majority for that? – If SV wants it, we’ll get it. They are normally a little concerned with seeing the police a little in the cards. But some of the parties supporting the government must support the opposition to get this in place, he replies. Have obtained advice Earlier, parliamentary leader Marit Arnstad in the Center Party said the following about the process surrounding the creation of new police offices: – The dialogue has been with the police districts and the Directorate of Police. And I expect the police to stand by the dialogue they have had with the ministry regarding the establishment of new service stations. On Tuesday 22 August, news asked department director Roger Bjerke in the Norwegian Police Directorate what the Norwegian Police Directorate thought about Arnstad’s statement. – I do not wish to comment on her statements, but really only want to refer to the professional advice we have given to the ministry, he said. – And it wasn’t to create these places? – Then I have to refer to the advice we have given, replied Bjerke. In Politisk Kvarter, Minister of Justice and Emergency Preparedness Emilie Enger Mehl has said that “The Directorate of Police has come up with very specific input on where it is right to put new police stations when it is an election promise from our side”. Minister of Justice and Emergency Preparedness Emilie Enger Mehl writes that the Norwegian Police Directorate has not recommended the establishment of new duty stations. Photo: news The Minister nevertheless believes that she has been clear that the Norwegian Police Directorate has not wanted new police offices. – We have been clear about that all along. We have obtained advice from the police, and we invited all municipalities to provide input. And then we have had to make political decisions based on the totality of it, she replies. – But you have never before said that the Norwegian Police Directorate did not recommend the establishment of new duty stations? – I have said that it has not been the police’s recommendation to create new service stations. But we have asked the Directorate of Police for advice on where the duty stations should be located, once it is the case that the government has decided that 20 new duty stations will be established, she replies. news has asked the Ministry of Justice when Enger Mehl has said that it was not the Directorate of Police’s recommendation to establish new police offices. The ministry has not yet responded to this.
ttn-69
The Norwegian Police Directorate never recommended new police offices – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
