Greenland, Oslo police district | The Greenland violence: – These are mafia situations

From 1 May, up to 38 police officers in a new “local police unit” will be out in the field in the districts of Grønland and Tøyen in Oslo. The background is increased crime.

But the Oslo police district has not received more resources, and must move police officers from other units in the city. In a report on nrk.no, shop owners in the area talk about threats and fear:

– I can’t talk to you, says one of them, and another says that there were “consequences” when he previously spoke to the press.

A shop owner says that he fears being stabbed on the way home if it comes out that he has spoken to a journalist.

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– It has definitely escalated

Bjørn Næss of the Oslo Chamber of Commerce (OHF) is very concerned about the situation in Greenland. He confirms that threats against shop employees in the area are common.

– It is nothing new that there is drug trafficking and crime in Greenland, but this has definitely escalated in the last six months, says Næss to Nettavisen.

Næss has worked politically with the city councils with a view to strengthening the safety of shop employees, and welcomes the fact that there will now be more police in the area.

– We are concerned about the store’s security and thefts in the stores. Now there are gangs that do a lot of other things, but order theft is also exploding in such areas, says Næss.

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– These are mafia situations

At the same time, he says that strengthened police can be perceived in a completely different way for some shop employees:

– It can probably have a preventive effect with more police, but at the same time you can be perceived as quiet if the police come in and out of the shops where there are gangs, so employees can be afraid of the police too. There are mafia situations, says Næss.

He was just a few days ago in a meeting with the business council about the problems. Næss is aware that society has been on the defensive in the fight against this crime.

– We obviously take this situation very seriously. It is totally unacceptable that it should be like that.

– Can increase recruitment

According to an article in NRK.no, up to 38 police officers are to be employed in the new neighborhood police group. This has consequences that do not necessarily benefit the fight against crime, Næss points out:

– You have to put in a lot more resources. And then this creates a new problem, because there are fewer police in Oslo overall than a year ago.

The local police have to be brought in from other parts of the police, and that can weaken efforts elsewhere in the city:

– We must hope this helps. But I am concerned that police resources in Oslo are being reduced, and that resources aimed at young people are being removed elsewhere, at schools and other places where recruitment for the criminal circles takes place. This is very important work, and we are a little short on counting now.

– Would never happen at Frogner

Berit Jagmann is a lawyer and leader of the Greenland Resident Association. She believes the district has been ignored for years, and is happy that the police are becoming more visible in the district, even if it hardly solves all problems.

– If this is allowed to continue to grow without consequences, it will destroy an entire district. We are a large, urban and multicultural part of the city that is worth taking care of!

Jagmann has a simple explanation for why the extent of drug sales and crime has been allowed to grow wildly in this particular district:

– Because it is possible, and will not be turned down. Nobody wanted to do anything about it.

The situation now is not so different from how it has been for several years, believes Jagmann:

– From several years ago, drug sales have increased and sellers have become more aggressive. We have been talking about this for years, but on deaf ears. Children and young people in Greenland grow up in a society characterized by open crime, but Norwegian society does not care about children and young people in Greenland. That would never happen at Frogner!

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Scary in the middle of the residential area

The area near the Vaterland bridge and the subway station gets the most media coverage.

But overt crime, drug use and trafficking also happens in the middle of residential areas, emphasizes Jagmann.

– In Urtehagen, in the middle of the residential area, near kindergartens and schools, there are people who inject and sell drugs. In addition, the more drug users are mentally ill – they are erratic, and not just high. People act out completely openly, howl and scream and fight. It is very frightening, but also humiliating for those concerned, points out the head of the residents’ association.

Drug addicts need medical help, and the challenges require a lot of effort not only from the police, emphasizes Jagmann:

– Much more investment is needed in many fields: upgrading of outdoor areas, increased investment in schools, more support for poor families, better services for children and young people, and better treatment of drug addicts.

But despite all the problems, the residents’ association is keen not to scare people away from Greenland:

– We are an exciting multicultural district. It is not dangerous to live in Greenland, it is important to convey that, says Berit Jagmann.