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PRESENTATION: Senior Police Officer Morten Østraat and Police Officer Anders Svendsen showcase new police cars and digital solutions that will make the workday more efficient. Photo: Frode Hansen
OSLO S (VG) Police will soon have new police cars, but they are already meeting national response time requirements for the first time.
From the beginning of next year, you can see the new police cars that will eventually roll down the Norwegian roads.
All the cars have built-in computers, which means the police can process more cases in the field without having to go back to the office.
One of the objectives is that the new solutions may affect the response time of the police, according to the Ministry of Justice.
– With new equipment, we will be able to solve tasks much better when we get to assignments. Instead of having to drive and do a lot of things inside, we can do a lot more out there, Police Superintendent Morten Østraat tells VG.
– So we are part of a small revolution, he says.
SEE VIDEO: This is how the new police cars will be.
The new cars to be phased in at the end of the year will be leased and the deal has a total budget of NOK 1.3 billion. Police districts decide for themselves if they want to use the agreement.
Meet the requirements for the first time
Police are now also meeting national response time requirements for small, medium and large venues for the first time.
– It’s great that we meet the requirements in all three urban categories, but it’s nationally. There are differences between districts and yet we still work hard to make sure everyone is eligible, says Section Chief Elisabeth Rise at the VG Police Directorate.
– I know that the police take that job seriously and are working to achieve it, says Justice Minister Monica Mæland (H).
NEW EQUIPMENT: Great emphasis has been placed on the working conditions in the new cars and the systems have been integrated from the start. Here, Police Superintendent Morten Østraat displays a leading operations car.
When the police reform was introduced in 2015, the response time of the police began to be measured. That is, how quickly does it take from the moment the police receive a notification of an incident until the first police unit is on the scene.
From May to August of this year, the average response time was 30 minutes for the smallest places, 19 minutes for places with 2,000 to 19,999 inhabitants, and 11 minutes for the largest places.
Today’s response time requirements were introduced in 2017.
– It takes time to complete
– Why did the police take so long to reach the goals?
– The police reform is not finished. Many people talk as if it happened. Some will reverse it. I want to keep going forward. Police reform will be implemented now and will be evaluated in 2022. We know it will take time to implement some of the goals that were set, but I am very pleased that we are where we are today, says Mæland.
INSPECTOR: Monica Mæland was carefully shown the qualities of the new police cars. Photo: Frode Hansen
She believes that mobile solutions in police cars are an important part of the police of the future, because they allow the police to solve more in the field.
– The Swedes have a motorhome office. Why don’t we have it in Norway?
– I heard someone is very against the RV office. I am very much in favor of mobile solutions. What we’ve seen here is a mobile solution, says Mæland.
He refers here to persistent criticism from the Center Party, which believes that the government has reduced the local police force.
SP POLITICIAN: Jenny Klinge is happy with the new cars, but says that there have been no more police patrols on Norwegian roads. Photo: Roger Neumann
– Better lie down
Justice policy spokeswoman Jenny Klinge of the Center Party thinks it’s good that the police are getting new cars now, but says it doesn’t solve the problem.
– It is fantastic that the government, suddenly, now, a year before the elections, can afford to strengthen the fleet of police cars. However, it is worth noting that they have by no means managed to put more cops on wheels in recent years, as were expectations, Jenny Klinge tells VG.
– Through police reform, they closed more than 120 sheriff’s offices to get more police patrols on Norwegian roads. They have been shown to be better at closing offices than investing in patrols, so to speak. So the car fleet now just needs to get a boost.
