– Before, it was quite common for people to explain themselves if they had been shot or stabbed

The police are concerned about the culture of silence that has spread – especially among the young.

In several areas in Oslo, people’s trust in the police is low. The majority of these places are located in the center or east of the city. And the development is going in the wrong direction. More and more people fear talking to the police.

– We are concerned about the increase we have seen in youth crime in the past year, said police chief Ida Melbo Øystese on Tuesday.

Then she and the police in Oslo presented a report on the areas they would prioritize in the future.

John Roger Lund from the Oslo police says that the fear of talking to the police is greatest among young people under the age of 18. But young people under the age of 15 also fear the consequences.

The culture of silence

Lund leads the police east and south in Oslo.

When people who are subjected to violence or have witnessed it do not want to speak, then there are consequences. In such cases, the police must spend much more time and people investigating the cases.

– Before, it was quite common for people to explain themselves if they had been shot or stabbed, says Lund.

Aftenposten is aware of several cases where both witnesses and victims of serious crime do not want to talk to the police. This culture of silence has possibly also spread to “ordinary people”, according to Lund.

He says that on 5 January an explosive charge went off at a block in Groruddalen. This happened in the evening or at night, but none of the residents contacted the police.

– There were clear marks on the block after the explosion, says Lund.

Instead, it was the caretaker, who came to work the next day, who contacted the police.

– If you hear gunshots in forested areas, it could be testing of weapons or other things. People must call and tell us about this. Then we can move out, find and map areas where shots may be fired again, says Lund.

Last year, two underage boys were convicted after it was discovered that they went with a young man into a forest clearing on Ellingsrud. Both boys fired shots inside the forest. It was only when the police arrested the man and went through his phone that they found out about the incident.

Fear of talking to the police

The police’s aim is that the efforts in the nine areas should lead to people feeling safer and that trust in the police increases. While the areas in the west of Oslo and in Asker and Bærum do not struggle with this, the situation is different in the center and east of the city.

Four of these are under Lund’s management, which consist of the districts of Alna, Bjerke, Grorud, Stovner, Østensjø, Nordstrand and Søndre Nordstrand.

A total of around 290,000 people live here. 45,000 of them are between 10 and 22 years old.

• According to the police, there is a culture of silence at Mortensrud and Bjørnerud.
• Also on Furuset, many fear reprisals if they talk to the police.
• The same applies in Greenland and Tøyen.

Do not choose to report serious incidents

Greenland is where people have the lowest trust in the police.

In a recent report on the challenges of the business world in the area, the actors in the business world are asked whether they have reported any matters to the police in the past year.

Several respond that they have little faith that it will lead to anything. Many fear negative consequences from criminals.

• “I don’t contact the police as people follow and there could be reprisals,” replies one person.
• “If we tell the police, it will only get worse for us,” says another answer.

More police in priority areas

It is difficult to say where it has gone wrong, says police chief Øystese. She points out that no one has a conclusion, and it is therefore important that the police take action now.

In Greenland, there will soon be 38 policemen and women working on the challenges there. Last year, neighborhood police were established on Tøyen and Greenland. In the other priority areas, the police must also be more visible.

But it costs to bet. The government has already promised NOK 635 million more to the police. During the presentation of the priority areas, Minister of Justice Emilie Enger Mehl (Sp) was also present. 635 million is a minimum, Mehl promised.

– There will be more, she told Aftenposten.

In any case, the investment will lead to reprioritization of the Oslo police’s money and people. The police chief did not want to say who and what will be affected.