"As before, but safer": The police’s evaluation of 14 months’ temporary arming of the police

Abstract

Norway is one of the few countries in which the police are ordinarily unarmed. 2 Between 25th November 2014 and 3rd February 2016 this was not the case. Based on the Norwegian Police Security Service’s (PST’s) risk assessment, in which it appeared that the police could be imminently the target of terror attacks, POD, in a letter dated 18thNovember 2014, requested the consent of the Ministry of Justice and Emergency Preparedness for the introduction of a temporary, general arming of the Norwegian police pursuant to the Weapons Instructions for the Police, Section 10, first paragraph, letter ‘d’. The department granted this consent on 21stNovember 2014 and arming of the police was introduced with effect from 8am on 25th November 2014 (cf. POD’s letter to the police districts and special agencies of 23rdNovember 2014). (Norway is one of the few countries in which the police are ordinarily unarmed. 2 Between 25th November 2014 and 3rd February 2016 this was not the case. Based on the Norwegian Police Security Service’s (PST’s) risk assessment, in which it appeared that the police could be imminently the target of terror attacks, POD, in a letter dated 18thNovember 2014, requested the consent of the Ministry of Justice and Emergency Preparedness for the introduction of a temporary, general arming of the Norwegian police pursuant to the Weapons Instructions for the Police, Section 10, first paragraph, letter ‘d’. The department granted this consent on 21stNovember 2014 and arming of the police was introduced with effect from 8am on 25th November 2014 (cf. POD’s letter to the police districts and special agencies of 23rdNovember 2014). (For further reading see page 9-11).