the minister of Justice, mr Søren Pape Poulsen (K) admits to Ekstra Bladet, that the closure of over a third of the country’s police stations have led to the citizens and the police have come further from each other.
But the explanation to the many closures, according to the minister of justice to be found in the development of crime.
– There was simply a need for a professionalisation. You should join forces. We can just see what has happened on cybercrime, terror, and a wide range of crime areas, he says.
– Now we come to the point where we are very much in it here, and people also feel that people have come far away from the police.
nationwide is such fear has increased over the last two years, according to the police’s own tryghedsundersøgelser.
such fear rises
In 2015 felt 89,3 percent of the danes themselves safe in their neighborhood. In 2018, it was to talk down to 86,5.
the 8.8 of the danes said in 2018. that they felt unsafe in their neighborhood, while it was only 5.6 in 2015.
In the north Jutland police district, which is the in the country, where most stations are closed, is the security also dropped, from 2015 to 2018. In 2015 was the security in the North jutland Police district around the national average.
In 2018, was the security in the North jutland police district below the national average.
The same applies for the south Zealand and Lolland-Falster police. There was security in 2015 namely also close to the national average. In 2018 was security in politikredsen below the national average.
2015 was the year in which both pursued at krudttønden and the refugee crisis took place.
Source: Police tryghedsundersøgelser
– you Acknowledge that the closure of many police stations have led to the citizens and the police have come further away from each other, and that people have been less safe?
– Yes! There is no doubt that it is far along the way is what has happened. I understand well the feeling that you are more at ease when there is a station.
the police reform in 2007
the reform of the police has been called the biggest reform of the Danish police in recent times and came into force on 1. January 2007.
the Reform was adopted in november 2006 by the government, which at the time consisted of the Left and the Conservatives, the Danish people’s Party, the Social democrats, the Radical Left and SF. Lene Espersen (K) was justice minister at the time
the 54 police districts was to 12. Each circuit had its own police commissioner, emergency services and administration. The purpose of having fewer police districts, was, that skrivebordsarbejdet should be centralised in fewer locations.
the Police response time should be shorter with the reform of the police and the breakdown in order and the judicial police was dropped.
outlets through, næringsbreve and animal welfare was no longer a police job.
Søren Pape Poulsen emphasises its politiudspil from the autumn as the solution to the problem.
– I will not bind my officers to the brick. They should be out in the streets, and it is what I will do with my new security and nærhedsudspil.
Papes new politiudspil
8. October last year presented Søren Pape Poulsen, a new politiudspil, which aims to bring the police closer to the citizens.
the Proposal consisted among other things of eight specific initiatives for the near and local policing.
1. The strengthening of the local policing
2. More mobile police stations
3. Tryghedsopfølgning
4. Order a cop
5. Targeted tryghedspatruljering
6. Strengthened focus on response times
7. More service and operation in police training
8. Evaluation of experience with kredsråd
source: ministry of Justice
Both the Danish people’s Party and SF’s retsordførere are dissatisfied with the many closed police stations.
– It is the centralization in practice. It is the development which the people of the country are experiencing, says Karsten Hønge (SF) for Extra Magazine.
– At the Palace speaks a lot about that you want to decentralise. But what you are experiencing out in reality, is the centralization. So it collides with the in the level with it, the government says, he continues.
the Danish people’s party Peter Kofod points, like the minister of justice, in that the proximity to citizens will disappear.
– the Problem is that there is too long between citizens and the police. Out in the many smaller towns and rural areas to get very much out of the fact that there is a familiarity between the local cops and the local population. It means that you will get some thing to know, as not just do, if you come from out of town from and stands on the market square in two hours with a mobile police station, he says.
the Article continues under the picture…
Peter Kofod Poulsen is not satisfied with the politiudspil, Søren Pape Poulsen, came with in the fall. Photo: Jens Dresling
Both the rapporteurs acknowledge the ministry of justice proposal as a step in the right direction, but none of them believe that it is enough.
– in Some places, mobile police stations, as the minister will have to be okay. For example, if there are signs of unrest. But it has a strong value to see that there is a local police station, says Karsten Hønge.
– The mobile police stations may just not be a crutch for the government, he says.
Peter Kofod votes in.
the Proposal does not solve the problems, he states.
– the Mobile police stations, fine enough. Good for anything. There is a festival in my local town, and there will be a mobile police station and hold there. This is fine and good. But it should be a supplement to something else.
The two retsordførere have a specific desire to the minister of justice: Reopen lokalstationerne!
– We would really like to have, that we begin to open nærpolitistationerne again from a end of the. But it requires more police officers, says DF’s Peter Kofod.
– We need more local police stations. This having to have a physical proximity has a high degree of importance in relation to the experience of security, emphasises Karsten Hønge.
Karsten Hønge will have opened some of the closed police stations again. Photo: Linda Johansen
But the wish seems to come true. For en Ekstra Bladet ask the minister for justice whether there are any plans to reopen some of the closed police stations, the answer is clear.
– Not immediately, for then it is that we bind the officers to the brick, and I’d rather have them out among the people.
– Resources are also not unlimited. I think we have found a good balance, he says.
