It is urgent to get control over the violence in Oslo. Politicians must give people security back – Dagsavisen

This weekend it happened again: A young man was shot and seriously injured at a kebab restaurant in Greenland in the center of Oslo. Figures from the police show that the number of serious violent incidents in Oslo almost doubled from 2022 to 2023. In the last six months alone, there have been nine shooting incidents in the capital. The number of stabbings is also increasing.

Now it is urgent to get control of the situation, before it becomes even more acute. It should not be the case in Norway that people live in fear of violent criminals.

We must fight to avoid “Swedish conditions” – and that fight must begin now, on this government’s watch.

Last week, police chief Ida Melbo Øystese stepped out in VG and launched the Oslo police’s plan to stop open drug sales, violence and threats in the inner city districts of Grønland and Tøyen. She sets up a local police unit with up to 38 police officers.

A few days later, the Labor Party’s justice policy spokesperson Hadia Tajik and Labor and Social Affairs Minister Tonje Brenna were out in the same newspaper with a clear message: Labor will break the backs of the gangs that trouble the population. Among the measures they propose are tougher penalties for gun use, more police staff and even more in vulnerable areas, as well as taking gangs’ money, watches, cars and jewelery to strangle their finances.

This comes on top of the fact that the national board meeting in both the Center Party and the Labor Party has adopted a tougher line against gangs and lawlessness.

Keep yourself updated. Get a daily newsletter from Dagsavisen

It is good that the governing parties are now coming to the fore. But it means little if funds are not included with the promises. The first test comes with the revised state budget in May. Here the government must show that it takes the situation very seriously and provide resources so that the police can do their job.

That is the short-term solution. The situation also cries out for measures to overcome social differences, a willingness to tackle challenges around immigration and integration, and to remedy the lack of leisure facilities and surfaces for sports and other activities in several districts.

The political left must show that it has the will and ability to be tough on the tough. If not, the right side will easily run the ball into the goal. We must fight to avoid “Swedish conditions” – and that fight must begin now, on this government’s watch. It is urgent to give people a sense of security back.

Also read: We must be able to trust Nav, Dagsavisen believes

Also read: Don’t close the borders during the next pandemic