Oslo Rector sounds alarm on gang culture

Oslo. Romsås.Photo: Håkon Mosvold Larsen / Scanpix

In Oslo, Romsås rector, Jarle Dukic Sandven warned of young gang members who almost terrorize the area and force children to sell marijuana in secondary schools.

 

Sandven, the principal at Bjøråsen School, and Tiurleiken School at Romsås, wrote in a letter that some residents hardly dare to go to school and work ‘’for fear of meeting this gang”, according to Aftenposten newspaper.

The rector said that there are 15 to 20 young people from Romsås of between the ages of 16 and 18 who recruit,and threaten youth school students to sell marijuana to fellow students.The gang consists of youths of immigrant background, and Sandven considers it is likely to be ruled by older criminals in the background.

Get “fines”

Furthermore, the rector said that if someone doesn’t like the gang, they may get “fines”. On several occasions young people and parents have paid money to the gang, and Sandven said he knows examples of “fines” of over 10,000 kroner.

Sandven has worked in schools in the area since 1999, and as a principal since 2014.

“The development now is more frightening than what I have seen before. I’m actually afraid of losing control,”Sandven told Aftenposten newspaper.

Sandven’s letter has been sent to the city council, the district commission, the district director and the police. He called for “drastic action to be taken before the situation escalates further”.

The Director of Romsås council, Øystein Eriksen Søreide, told NRK News that they are following developments.

“Most of the youngsters at Romsås are good and behave well, but a few cause problems and make many people feel unsafe. That is what we must take seriously’’, said Søreide.

According to NRK, the police don’t want to comment on the situation at Romsås in detail.

Frightening

According to Tor Erik Røberg-Larsen, head of Svarttjern housing company,cannabis sales also happen near people’s homes.

‘’Packages are dropped under porches, cars come and deliver packages before they drive away. The most frightening is that the young people who receive the packages are getting even younger,” said Røberg-Larsen to NRK.

He said he has seen a lot through the years at Romsås, but has never seen so much drug activity as during the past couple of years.

Hired guards

From November to Christmas last year, Ravnkollen housing agency hired guards because residents were afraid to move outside while it was dark, wrote NRK news.

Captain Roy Moen said they’ve now set up floodlighting to get rid of the obvious drug sales.

“We had a camera on the wall here, but it’s been damaged,’’ said Moen.

 

© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today