A car drives into the ditch. A neighbor plays music too loudly. There is a long queue for the outdoor venue in the center on Saturday evening. In all these situations, the police can turn up to help. And in today’s Norway, they have a gun on their hip when they arrive, regardless of the assignment. In the last four years, police throughout the country have been armed ten times. In the four years before, they were only armed once. Today, an expert committee will recommend permanent general armament for Minister of Justice Emilie Enger Mehl. Want armed police, but do not feel safer A new survey carried out by Norstat for news shows that most people want the police to carry weapons in periods when they are needed, but not all the time. But the survey also shows that most people believe that armed police do not make most people’s lives safer. Have worked for general armament for a decade Since the national police were allowed to carry weapons in 2014, they have done so nearly 28 percent of the time, writes Politiforum. Ten years ago, in November 2012, the Norwegian Police Union decided that they should fight for the permanent arming of all police officers. – It is high time, says Morten Alexander Mossin. He is a political adviser in the union and has professional responsibility for the issue of armaments. Mossin believes that the constant temporary arming of the police is a sign that the era of unarmed police is over. – The recent period of indifference is a sign that there has been an escalation of threatening situations that the Norwegian police encounter, he says. The association believes that arming is as much about the safety of the individual police officer as it is about the safety of society. – Our members wish to have general armaments in place to be able to be safe at work, and we as a society must listen to that, says Mossige. Will promote permanent arming for the Storting The head of the justice committee in the Storting, Per-Willy Amundsen (Frp) has for several years fought for the police to carry weapons permanently. He believes that the opponents of fixed armaments have become fewer due to “changes in recent years”. – I think it is about the threat situation. And so that for very large periods in recent years we have in practice had armed police, says Amundsen. – Norway has been a country where it has been a principle that the police should not carry lethal weapons. Is that time over now? – I think it is a time that is definitely over. It’s a time that I, on the other hand, don’t think will ever be a reality again. – The age of innocence is over, and I think it is important that one realizes this in the Storting and that one makes the changes that are necessary, says Amundsen. Photo: Bjørn Inge Bergestuen / Fremskrittspartiet Amundsen intends to put forward a proposal for general arming of the police before the Storting before the current period of intermediate arming expires on 1 December. – As you can see from that timeline, there has been a lot of arming in the middle. So much of it that we are almost at permanent armament. The distance is not great, says Amundsen. At 2 pm on Monday, the expert committee will present its report to the Minister of Justice. Follow the case here.
ttn-69
