After years of opposition, Oslo Police Chief Ida Melbo Oystese recently called for the permanent arming of officers on duty in Oslo. She argued that in 2024, law enforcement officers had to resort to using their firearms as many as ten times a day, on average.

In an interview with the Norwegian VG newspaper, Oystese said that she used to be against police officers carrying weapons on duty, but changed her mind because of the critical situations that occur on a daily basis, requiring armed intervention.

My decision simply lies in the fact that patrols must have weapons to be able to respond quickly,

she explained.

An expert report in 2022 examined police practices in dealing with violence and supported the general carrying of guns, but the committee’s opinion was divided.

The officers of the Norwegian Police Service (NPS) only carry firearms in special response situations, keeping their weapons locked up in the patrol cars. The use of firearms is recorded by the police stations, which publish detailed statistics on the annual use of firearms. Under normal circumstances, patrols carry batons, Tasers and gas spray.

Mari Holm Lonseth, a Hoyre párt igazságügyi szóvivője támogatja a rendőrfőkapitány javaslatát az általános fegyverviselésről.

Mari Holm Lonseth, justice spokesperson for the Hoyre Party, supports the police chief’s proposal on the general carrying of weapons.

More attention should be paid to the proposal from the police chief. Given the seriousness of the threats, weapons in standby storage are no longer sufficient. Rapidly escalating situations, an increase in stabbings and armed attacks require police officers to be armed at all times. It is about providing protection swiftly,

Holm Lonseth emphasized.

Norwegian Justice Minister Emilie Enger Mehl welcomes the public debate, but does not support the general arming of Oslo’s police.

High rate of migrants among criminals

Documents reviewing all indictments filed at the Oslo district Ccurt between August 1 and October 15 show that

more than three quarters of the accused, 77 percent, are foreigners.

The 35 indictments reviewed reveal that 27 persons are from non-Western countries, while only 8 are Norwegian. The numbers point to a serious trend in the Norwegian justice system, the Norwegian news portal Document pointed out.

Several of the accused come from Muslim countries, which is worrisome from the point of view of integration and parallel societies, and the trials against foreigners put enormous strain on the Norwegian justice system.

Due to interpretation costs, longer administrative times and cultural challenges, conducting the proceedings is more costly and burdensome.

The figures from the Oslo district court figures are causing growing discontent among Norwegians who question the country’s immigration and integration policies. Many say politicians have failed by allowing immigration to continue without taking the necessary steps to ensure real integration.