– All resources go to investigate murders – Document

Almost 400 cases have been dropped so far this year due to a lack of capacity at the police in the interior.

This is just one of several suspension codes, the total number of suspensions is far higher, writes NRK.

It must be the high number of murders that means that the capacity of the police is blown up.

– It is critical. All of our resources go into investigating murders. This means that we do not get to investigate other priority cases, such as violence in close relationships and rape, says Johan Brekke, chief of police in Innlandet police district.

The Inland police district does not have the capacity to investigate the most serious cases that are not murder, which are typically family violence and immorality cases, confirms the head of Politijuristene, the trade union for prosecuting lawyers, Julie Dalsveen.

Many murders mean that the police in the interior cannot investigate rapes

– The piles of cases have never been as large as they are now and they have not contained as large a proportion of serious cases as they do now. And this is increasing, she says, adding:

– Other serious cases are pending and may have to be dropped.

Dalsveen believes the situation is only getting worse year by year.

The police have cut close to 40 positions to save money, and have also decided that the police district must reduce staff by 10 per cent on prosecuting lawyers.

On Monday, police chief Johan Brekke from the Innlandet police district met with the Norwegian Police Directorate to discuss capacity challenges and the consequences of the many murder cases and other serious cases in the Innlandet.

– We have communicated the situation in the interior, and I expect that there will be some follow-up from the Norwegian Police Directorate afterwards, concludes Brekke.

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