Norway’s Center Party wants a police helicopter base in the north

The Center Party (SP) wants Norway to establish a base for police helicopters in Northern Norway, Central Norway, and Western Norway next year. 

Jenny Klinge, the Center Party’s justice policy spokesperson, said that the goal of the proposal was to strengthen preparedness outside Eastern Norway.

“Dedicated police helicopters in Northern Norway, Central Norway, and in Western Norway will make it possible for the police to reach locations quickly over greater distances. 

“With the help of advanced technical equipment, they will be able to achieve a lot,” Klinge noted.

“Only the Center Party is in favor of this in the Norwegian parliament (Storting) now, but we will take the proposal into any government negotiations,” Klinge told news bureau NTB.

Increased emergency preparedness

She is pleased that the government has decided to build a national emergency center at Taraldrud outside Oslo. 

Three new police helicopters have been purchased, and national emergency preparedness has increased.

“That is good for emergency preparedness but does not help much in many places in our country due to the enormous distances. Therefore, the Center Party has allocated funds in our alternative state budget for 2021 to get started with a police helicopter base in Northern Norway,” she said.

Klinge pointed out that the Gjørv Report recommended establishing a robust helicopter service for the police in Oslo and co-operation schemes that ensure transport capacity in the rest of the country.

Decentralization

“Seven years of the Conservatives and the Liberal Party have shown that too little is invested in this important resource outside central Eastern Norway.

“Sweden, by comparison, has seven police helicopters at five bases across the country. Norway must also have a decentralized police helicopter structure,” Klinge noted.

She emphasized that it is not certain that the next major national accident or terrorist attack will occur in central Eastern Norway, where the police resources are located today.

© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today