Comments on: Police in Norway and the (mis)reading of stats http://blingyou.net/blog/police-in-norway-and-the-misreading-of-stats/ The bling on the line! Thu, 24 Nov 2011 00:40:31 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: BlingYou http://blingyou.net/blog/police-in-norway-and-the-misreading-of-stats/comment-page-1/#comment-34 BlingYou Mon, 17 Aug 2009 05:23:31 +0000 http://blingyou.net/blog/?p=208#comment-34 I think we will go with your numbers then, since you have first hand knowledge of the actual number of in-the-field police officers. Even though technicians, radio operators, investigators and so on are trained at the academy, they will not to the same extent do the hands on police work that is noticed and needed on the streets. One of the huge problems in most societies, and I know this for a fact, is that the government have a tendency to pay persons with a desire and drive for their job less than what would be considered "decent". Emergency room nurses and doctors earn less than others with the same education working in more boring or less challenging conditions. The employer knows that they will get people to work there anyway, because the work is interesting, exiting and demanding. I guess its the same with police officers. You do not become a police officer to be rich, very few become rich, but you do expect to be paid reasonable - at least enough to live, eat and drive relatively well. Unfortunately I do not think that is the case in Norway and many other countries. Police officers are usually driven, in the positive sense of the word, to do this work and have a moral compass that makes them want to help others, improve the lives of someone, help people in peril, change the outcome of things - but they also want to be paid a reasonable salary for their time. Being a police officer, much like being a doctor, a fireman, a nurse, a teacher is something you ARE not only something you DO. Its sad that police officers like yourself Morten is quitting to pursue other careers, as the country needs all the hands that it can get to combat the growing wave of crime that we have only just seen the beginning of. I do wish you luck in your future endeavors and I guess the police will always be something to come back to, should the new job prove to tedious and uneventful. Good luck! I think we will go with your numbers then, since you have first hand knowledge of the actual number of in-the-field police officers. Even though technicians, radio operators, investigators and so on are trained at the academy, they will not to the same extent do the hands on police work that is noticed and needed on the streets.

One of the huge problems in most societies, and I know this for a fact, is that the government have a tendency to pay persons with a desire and drive for their job less than what would be considered “decent”. Emergency room nurses and doctors earn less than others with the same education working in more boring or less challenging conditions. The employer knows that they will get people to work there anyway, because the work is interesting, exiting and demanding. I guess its the same with police officers. You do not become a police officer to be rich, very few become rich, but you do expect to be paid reasonable – at least enough to live, eat and drive relatively well.

Unfortunately I do not think that is the case in Norway and many other countries. Police officers are usually driven, in the positive sense of the word, to do this work and have a moral compass that makes them want to help others, improve the lives of someone, help people in peril, change the outcome of things – but they also want to be paid a reasonable salary for their time. Being a police officer, much like being a doctor, a fireman, a nurse, a teacher is something you ARE not only something you DO.

Its sad that police officers like yourself Morten is quitting to pursue other careers, as the country needs all the hands that it can get to combat the growing wave of crime that we have only just seen the beginning of. I do wish you luck in your future endeavors and I guess the police will always be something to come back to, should the new job prove to tedious and uneventful. Good luck!

]]> By: Morten http://blingyou.net/blog/police-in-norway-and-the-misreading-of-stats/comment-page-1/#comment-33 Morten Mon, 17 Aug 2009 04:17:07 +0000 http://blingyou.net/blog/?p=208#comment-33 I am a policeofficer in Norway. I am one of those who work in active patrol duty. These are the ones that Dørum wants more of. There are about 10 000 approved operative officers, but only 4 500 of them actually work out in the streets (according to their work-plan). The rest of the employees are doing investigations, intelligence, administration... - yes, investigators, under-cover agents, crime scene technicians and so on are also approved operative officers. This means they can arm themselves and join armed operations. So - if you take 4 500 officers, divided with 4 800 000 people - you have the answer. But - I dont care actually. I am just waiting to quit. I have 6 weeks left and looking forward to a paid job. The policeduty in Norway aint worth it. Low payment, Media harrasment, and no "down to earth" opinions among the public... I am filled up with naive norwegians. Naivism and policework dont fit together. Now I look forward to triple my salery (I probably need to work a bit more - but I will have much more freedom to when and where I have to work...). I send my best regards to all my fellow colleagues in the norwegian policeforce. Keep up the good work! I am proud of you! I am a policeofficer in Norway. I am one of those who work in active patrol duty. These are the ones that Dørum wants more of. There are about 10 000 approved operative officers, but only 4 500 of them actually work out in the streets (according to their work-plan). The rest of the employees are doing investigations, intelligence, administration…

- yes, investigators, under-cover agents, crime scene technicians and so on are also approved operative officers. This means they can arm themselves and join armed operations.

So – if you take 4 500 officers, divided with 4 800 000 people – you have the answer.

But – I dont care actually. I am just waiting to quit. I have 6 weeks left and looking forward to a paid job. The policeduty in Norway aint worth it. Low payment, Media harrasment, and no “down to earth” opinions among the public… I am filled up with naive norwegians. Naivism and policework dont fit together.

Now I look forward to triple my salery (I probably need to work a bit more – but I will have much more freedom to when and where I have to work…).

I send my best regards to all my fellow colleagues in the norwegian policeforce. Keep up the good work! I am proud of you!

]]> By: BlingYou http://blingyou.net/blog/police-in-norway-and-the-misreading-of-stats/comment-page-1/#comment-32 BlingYou Sun, 16 Aug 2009 21:19:31 +0000 http://blingyou.net/blog/?p=208#comment-32 According to the 2000 statistics there are 11,134 but the Politiforbundet (pf.no) has stated that there are about 10 000 approved and active officers in Norway. My point being that statistics can be bent either way. If the PF nubers are correct, we have 1 officer in 479 people, so its more than 2 per 1000, if the statistics are right we have 1 in 439 and if your number of 6000 on the streets is correct its 1 in 799. I don't know who has the correct number here, but in my opinion there is not enough of them. Having traveled all over the world and seen the police presence in the streets there, we are coming up short. Our country is changing, to the worse I'm afraid, crime wise - and there is an urgent need to beef up and prepare to be swarmed with criminals wanting to prey on gullible Norwegians. According to the 2000 statistics there are 11,134 but the Politiforbundet (pf.no) has stated that there are about 10 000 approved and active officers in Norway. My point being that statistics can be bent either way. If the PF nubers are correct, we have 1 officer in 479 people, so its more than 2 per 1000, if the statistics are right we have 1 in 439 and if your number of 6000 on the streets is correct its 1 in 799. I don’t know who has the correct number here, but in my opinion there is not enough of them. Having traveled all over the world and seen the police presence in the streets there, we are coming up short. Our country is changing, to the worse I’m afraid, crime wise – and there is an urgent need to beef up and prepare to be swarmed with criminals wanting to prey on gullible Norwegians.

]]> By: The plummer:) http://blingyou.net/blog/police-in-norway-and-the-misreading-of-stats/comment-page-1/#comment-31 The plummer:) Sun, 16 Aug 2009 19:31:18 +0000 http://blingyou.net/blog/?p=208#comment-31 There are 6000 police officers that is approved for working on the streets in Norway, and about 11000 in total. According to wikipedia there are 4 799 300 people in Norway. What answer did you get:) There are 6000 police officers that is approved for working on the streets in Norway, and about 11000 in total. According to wikipedia there are 4 799 300 people in Norway. What answer did you get:)

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