The debate post expresses the writer’s opinions.
When he is confronted with the fact that there have been fewer police officers on his watch, he calls it a game of numbers. And avoids answering how he will ensure that the trend turns.
Vedum also claims that the Conservative Party when we were in government “de-prioritised the foundations of the police”.
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From 2013 to 2021, the Solberg government increased the number of operational police officers in the country’s police districts by more than 2,500. We reached the target of two police officers per 1,000 inhabitants. And equipped the police to better deal with the most serious crime.
The police themselves were so pleased that Sigve Bolstad, then head of the Police Federation, brought us a cake at the Prime Minister’s office.
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After Vedum and Støre took over, the police have been downsized by 450. In many places, it is especially the preventive work that is being weakened. Their most high-profile venture is opening small police offices in places where crime hardly occurs.
Pleasant for those who live there, but it does not make Norway safer.
It is a shame that it should be necessary to continuously fact-check everything that comes out of the finance minister’s mouth. But unfortunately that is where we are.
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Going forward, we must do much more to combat the increasing youth and gang crime that particularly affects our big cities. There are too many horror stories about children as young as 13-14 who are drawn into organized crime and become criminals themselves.
The Conservative Party has put forward a number of proposals, which Sp and Ap have voted against in the Storting. Among other things, we have proposed making it easier to confiscate valuables and money from criminal acts, tighten the rules on residence bans and the use of electronic control measures to prevent certain people from staying in charged areas.
It is great that Ap now says in the newspaper that they are more positive about some of this, but in practice very little happens from the government. So little that anyone who is concerned with more crime fighting and better prevention should wish for a new government.
The Conservative Party will prioritize a stronger police force.
The post was first published on the writer’s Facebook wall.
