General manager Akhenaton de Leon of the Organization Against Public Discrimination (OMOD), says the police admit that over-control is a problem. – They have to do something about this immediately, he says. Leon also believes that the evaluation shows the problems with the current receipt system: – It shows that there is an insufficient data base. Akhenaton de Leon is positive that a receipt scheme has been introduced, but thinks it is flawed. Photo: Silja Björklund Einarsdóttir / Silja Björklund Einarsdóttir The evaluation of the receipt scheme: Just before Christmas 2022, the police in central Oslo started something completely new. When they had to check someone, they had to give out a note. On it was information about who was stopped, why and by whom. Over 5,000 such receipts were printed over the next nine months. Among other things, the scheme was supposed to increase trust in the police. It was also supposed to find out whether the police engaged in discriminatory treatment. Four months after the project ended, the evaluation is ready. Make the police more aware Leon wants the scheme to be extended to other cities. In addition, he believes that it should contain information about, among other things, skin color and ethnicity, or mother tongue. – This is how we can prevent discrimination from ethnic profiling, he says. Leon wants a receipt scheme in several places in the country, and with more information about the people who are checked by the police. Despite the project being criticized, Leon believes that it has made the police more aware when they stop a person. The police held a press conference on Thursday where they presented an evaluation of the receipt scheme. Photo: Bård Nafstad / news – It is very positive. I have been demanding a receipt scheme for 30 years. And it’s the first time I feel we are being heard. Different opinion Martin Strand, head of joint operational service in the Oslo police, believes that the pilot project is a very limited test and that they must have more control over ethnic background. – There are probably slightly different opinions as to whether you exercise over-control, and whether a receipt scheme is the means we should use to gain control, says Strand. Martin Stand heads the joint operational service in the Oslo police. He believes the pilot project is a very limited test. Photo: Anders Fehn He says that the police and the various organizations will continue to work on a future solution. It is SV that got the receipt scheme in as a pilot project through the budget negotiations with the government in 2022. Justice policy spokesperson in SV, Andreas Sjalg Unneland. Photo: William Jobling / news – We agree with the criticism that the scheme has been tested in too small an area and that the study does not provide enough information, writes the justice policy spokesperson in the party, Andreas Sjalg Unneland in an e-mail to news. He believes a better experimental project is in order. – Then we can go ahead and get a receipt scheme, as is the case in many other countries. The receipt is incomplete Police officers who issued the receipts believe that it has not been clear what the purpose of the scheme has been. This is revealed in the evaluation. THE RECEIPT: Even if you refuse a receipt after being stopped by the police, the police record the information. Photo: Christopher Isachsen Sandøy / news For a long time several organizations wanted a receipt scheme. This is because of suspicions that the police treat people differently, for example because of skin color or ethnicity. In practice, this was not noted on the receipt itself. That’s because the police, according to the law, cannot record the skin color or ethnicity of the person they stop. Therefore, it has not been possible to find out whether the police treat people differently, according to the evaluation. Organizations such as OMOD criticized the police when the scheme came into place. They believed the receipt should have shown the skin color and ethnicity of the person stopped. Has not contributed to strengthening trust One of the aims of the scheme was also to increase trust in the police. But it doesn’t seem to have done that, according to the report. One of the problems that is highlighted is that the test area was limited to the center of Oslo. The risk that the scheme could have negative effects if it was tried in Oslo East was too great, the report states. Questions are raised about the fact that a larger area was not selected, and especially east Oslo, where the police have the greatest challenges in building trust. The receipt scheme could have created more trust, but then it would have had to be tried out elsewhere, according to the report. After having it explained, Kornelia Bakkensen (former), Camilla Ringnes and Lea Borge think that the arrangement is smart. – It is good, so that the police do not misuse their power. It gives enough results, says Ringnes. Ersin Kacan is positive that those who are stopped by the police get an explanation. – I am used to the police stopping you without saying why in Turkey. I think you should know why you are being stopped. It can give more confidence in the police, he says. Linnea Haugen (tv) and Natalie Jagiello do not think the scheme will increase their trust in the police. – We have quite a lot of trust from before, and it sounds more like you will get a fine, says Jagiello. Jens Anton Horst has heard of the scheme, but has no particular opinion for or against, according to himself. – It may certainly have something to do with it, but I don’t have very strong feelings about it.
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The police’s receipt scheme is slaughtered in a new report – Greater Oslo
