– Very serious and completely unacceptable.
Chief of Police Beate Gangås answers in cash what she thinks about all the shootings that have been in Oslo this autumn.
Since the end of August, eight young men have been shot in Oslo. Everyone was shot in public.
One of them, Hamse Hashi Adan (20), is dead.
– What is happening in Oslo now?
– It has been a picture over a time where we see that there are lines of conflict in criminal environments. That is what you now see in the public space, and which ends up with shootings, says the police chief.
– SERIOUS: Oslo Police Chief Beate Gangås takes developments in the capital very seriously. Photo: Ditlev Eidsmo / TV 2
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– It is not common practice that it ends up with shooting, not even here in Oslo, that we have so much shooting in the public space. But there are known lines of conflict between criminal actors.
Understand that people are worried
The Chief of Police confirms the impression given through the media recently. The level of conflict among the criminal circles in the capital has escalated.
TV 2’s survey of this autumn’s shooting episodes shows that all the people charged with the conditions have previously been convicted or so-called acquaintances of the police.
The cases they have been involved in in the past are about violence, weapons and drugs.
– It appears that there are many firearms in Oslo. How are you?
– We seize a lot of weapons. Not everything is known to the public, but we work both covertly and openly to take out weapons that are in criminal environments.
– There has been a period with a lot of knife use and we see in the last two months that it has increased significantly when it comes to the use of firearms. It is completely unacceptable, says Gangås.
– What do you want to say to people in Oslo who are worried that they will end up in a shooting episode?
– No, I understand. I understand that they are worried about it, says the police chief.
Will avoid mistakes from Sweden
– Are you afraid that the situation will get out of control?
– We should not have it so that it gets out of control. That is why we are so keen to implement significant measures now that we see that this has escalated, says Gangås.
On Wednesday this week, she had conversations with the police chief in both Stockholm and Copenhagen.
– We learn from our neighboring countries. We also know what mistakes we should not make here with us.
– What mistakes are you not going to make?
– What we get a clear warning about is, for example, putting down our own gang projects that become too limited an effort. We are committed to using all our resources and all the expertise together, both in the short and long term to combat this.
– What do you think about the term «Swedish conditions»?
– It is a well-known concept, but we have always said that we do not have Swedish conditions here in Norway, but we see some dangerous signals now.
– Must have many on the field
But the police can not do all the work alone. Therefore, the Chief of Police is a clear prayer to the rest of society, and especially the local communities.
– Often the police come into the picture after the young people have turned 15 and after they have done something criminal. It is too late, says Gangås.
She believes that a significant effort must be made much earlier.
– Work must be done from the local community, parents, the municipality, support services and schools. This is necessary to prevent the recruitment of very young people who are used by more experienced criminals to commit criminal and criminal acts.
At the same time, she promises that the police will do everything they can, and deploy everything they have of available resources and expertise to prevent a further escalation.
Strikes harder on weapons
– How will the criminal circles notice the police in Oslo in the future?
– They will notice a significant effort by the local police at the operating units that will receive support from all capacities and expertise in the police district.
In recent years, the police in Oslo have cracked down harder on carrying weapons in public places. The threshold for what is characterized as attempted murder and not aggravated violence or bodily injury has also been lowered.
– Is the legislation strict enough?
– We have made our own directives which means that we look very strictly at carrying weapons in a public place and ask for custody and severe penalties. Then we get to consider whether this is something we need to raise with our politicians. Whether we need stricter penalties, or whether we must be able to apply the legislation we have in a good way, says Gangås.
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