On Karl Johans gate in Oslo, the security guard Jorunn stands with his feet firmly planted on the ground. – The police only drive through here. We security guards go on foot, and then people think we are the police, she says. As an employee of a private security company, her job is to follow up in shops, and she is summoned in cases of theft, among other things. Nevertheless, Jorunn becomes the first line for frightening events in the city. – It has happened many times that the police have pulled up Karl Johan, and may not see that it is a threatening person who is hitting people in the street. That is the police’s job, but we have to arrest him, and run after the police and ask them to take him with them, she says. Out of consideration for her work, she wishes not to use her last name. Today there are around 8,000 man-years in the security industry. In the police, the same figure is 10,000. Photo: Bjørne Østrem Djukastein / news In a new report from the Norwegian Labor Research Institute, half of security guards who work close to the public answer that they sometimes or often experience the same thing. Can’t tell the difference – Part of the reason for that is that the security guards can look like the police in uniform, and thus be confused. After the police have become more centralised, the security guards are the ones who are accessible to people, says head of research Christin Thea Wathne. For most people, the difference may not be big. Wathne says that security guards do not have the authority to exercise power in the same way as the police. – Primarily, a security guard must observe, control and report. There is a fairly clear distinction from the police, who must ensure safety and can use force, she says. Wathne believes that a police force that has become more centralized opens the doors to a more open market for security operators who sell services. Photo: Eivind Røhne Jorunn tells of a time when someone in the street grabbed her to help a man lying on the street. They think he is not breathing. – Then we will be the first man at the scene of this overdose, and we will provide first aid even if it is the police who will handle it, she says. Wathne believes security guards are often forced to carry out police duties, even if it is not in their mandate. – They experience a great expectation from people around them to intervene, but some probably also feel a moral responsibility. It is not certain that the security guards have the necessary expertise, nor the law in hand in all cases, precisely because the use of force lies with the public, she says. Area control and ID control are some of the tasks carried out by security guards. Photo: Hanne Wilhelms / news – Void after police reform In recent years, there have been major changes in how the police work. What was launched as a local police reform has later become a popular police reform, and has resulted in a more centralized police force. One of the aims of the police reform was for the police to cooperate more with other actors. Wathne says that when the police used to take care of tasks in the public space that no one else was responsible for, there has now become a vacuum in the public space. The shops are the watchmen’s place of work. Nevertheless, incidents on the streets are often handled without the police present. Photo: Bjørne Østrem Djukastein / news – Now the police have become so sharp that a void has arisen. People on the streets still need help, and that’s where, for example, the weight loss services come in, she says. Assistant Director of Police Håkon Skulstad does not share Wathne’s view that police duties fell to watchmen. – It is a wild development that the police should spend more of their resources on crime prevention and safeguarding safety. Being out in the streets is still central to police reform, he says. Unreachable police Jorunn believes that the police will have a higher threshold to come to the place, if a guard is already in place – If we call and say that we have “control”, it will take a lot before the police come. Even if it is their job to handle what happens in the streets here. Assistant Director of Police Håkon Skulstad points out that 88 percent of citizens in Norway feel safe in their local environment. Photo: Tore Linvollen Another news security guard has spoken to say that you have to “hang on” when you call the operations center, so that the police will prioritize the case. – It is not desirable to give an incorrect picture of the situation. Challenges around this, it is natural that the security guards take into what we believe is a good dialogue with the police, he says. The report from the Labor Research Institute depicts a heavy working day for the security guards. The expectation to intervene in situations in the public space can be a big burden, it says. – I wish the police had more trust in us when we call them, says Jorunn.
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Watchman Jorunn feels compelled to be a police officer – news Norway – Overview of news from various parts of the country
