Solberg promises money for police cars

Prime Minister Erna Solberg promises to spend NOK 700 million to renew the police vehicle fleet in the next parliamentary term.

The Prime Minister is currently on a tour of eastern Norway. On Saturday, the police in Ski in Akershus were visited by Solberg.

– Dring this Government period, we have prioritized having more operational police officers, this initiative will continue in the next term. Now we also want a lift to ensure that the police have the equipment they need, says Erna Solberg.

She points to that 915 of the police’s 1,656 operational vehicles are older than the recommended lifespan of five years. The average age of a police car is 7.3 years. The police also have 1,119 administrative cars, of which 462 are older than the recommended lifespan of eight years.

According to the Prime Minister’s office there is a need for additionally NOK 284 million every year to catch up with the backlog regarding the current fleet.

– Over the next parliamentary period, the Conservatives pledge to spend NOK 700 million to cut the average age of the car park of the Norwegian police by two years, says Solberg.

The Conservatives also wish to realize the goal of two police officers per 1,000 inhabitants by 2020.

ICT-investments

Additionally, Solberg announces that the Conservatives wishes to spend an average of half a billion annually on ICT investments within the police. This money will be allocated to buy new equipment like smartphones and iPads, as well as strengthening efforts to combat digital crime.

– With the police reform, the police will carry out more police work in place. too achieve that, they need equipment that makes it possible to do much of what they previously had to be inside an office to do on location says Solberg.

Deferring expenses

Labor deputy leader, Hadia Tajik, believes it is high time that the cost items related to emergency preparedness are prioritized by the Government.

– This type of commitment towards cars and ICT is about time. The Prime Minister has spent the last four years postponing the big investment posts in front of her, and it’s a huge bill that has to be paid for in the next terms, says Tajik to NTB.

The National Emergency Center, the purchase of police helicopters, the emergency preparedness boat and the general rehabilitation of the police are among the investments that have suffered, the Labour politician states.

According to an overview from Politiforum, the purchase of new police cars has halved over the last four years. Police districts bought 93 new cars last year, as opposed to 184 in 2012.

Kick-off

Solberg started her tour of Eastern Norway on Friday with visits to Hedmark and Oppland. In the election campaign bus adorned with a large portrait of herself, she visited Sørumsand, where she was allowed to drive an Amcar. In Blaker Skanse she kicked off the “Le Tour de Trento” bicycle race.

In Ski, both the police station and the ski center were visited before the trip moves on to Moss and Fredrikstad on Saturday afternoon.

On Sunday Solberg visits Moss, Horten, Larvik, Porsgrunn and Bamble.