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CRIME

Police in Oslo to target funding at areas at risk of serious crime

Oslo police have announced a new system that will see more measures targeted at areas more prone to crime.

Published: 23 March 2023 16:00 CET
Pictured is Oslo.
Police in Oslo have announced a new way of tackling crime in the capital (pictured above) Photo by Ben Garratt on Unsplash

Six vulnerable zones have been identified by the police, the majority of them in the east of the Norwegian capital.

According to a report in the Norwegian newspaper Klassekampen, two of the zones are Grønland and Tøyen and four locations in the districts of Stovner, Alna and Søndre Nordstrand.

Police have selected these areas based on indicators such as low income, low education, short residence in Norway and households with a single parent. Police also considered the level of police activity in the area and existing intelligence on criminal networks in these areas.

“The police do not ignore the fact that more vulnerable areas will be uncovered as a result of good intelligence and analysis,” John Roger Lund, head of the east police unit, told Klassekampen.

A research group at the Police Academy in Oslo would also work on identifying new areas to which the police should target their attention.

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“Right now we are working on analysis of what may be exposed areas in Norway, based on similar analyses in Sweden and Denmark,” Manne Gerell, who researches crime and gang violence at the University of Malmö and the University of Oslo, said.

Research would also explore which crime prevention measures are the most effective for the police to pursue.

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OSLO

Potential bankruptcy threatens bus services in Oslo 

The strained finances of bus provider Unibuss could cause chaos for Oslo’s bus network if the company folds. 

Published: 24 April 2024 12:08 CEST
Potential bankruptcy threatens bus services in Oslo 

Unibuss, which is wholly owned by Oslo Municipality, is in danger of going bust due to large losses, unpaid bills, and fines from public transport firm Ruter for issues with its electric bus fleet this winter. 

Oslo City Council will hold an emergency meeting headed up by transport councilor Marit Vea on Wednesday, where she will be grilled on how the council will avert a collapse in the city’s public transport network should Unibuss go bankrupt. 

Unibuss is comprised of four smaller companies that operate bus routes in Oslo on behalf of Ruter. The company has just over 370 buses in operation and covers around 60 to 70 percent of the routes in Oslo and the neighboring municipality of Bærum. 

Oslo’s fleet of electric busses struggled especially with snow and cold temperatures this winter, which caused frequent chaos across the capital’s public transport network. 

Snow, ice, range and charging issues for the busses lead to vehicle shortages which caused mass delays and cancellations several times over the winter. 

Ruter, which is also part owned by Oslo municipality, believes that the financial problems facing Unibuss mean the company could be forced to file for bankruptcy or undergo a major restructuring, according to a memo obtained by publication Teknisk Ukeblad.  

It has previously told public broadcaster that it was working on a plan in case Unibuss goes bankrupt. 

“There is no doubt that the first days of such a scenario will be very demanding for the residents of Oslo and parts of Akershus,” Ruter’s communications director Elisabeth Skarsbø Moen told public broadcaster NRK.  

“First and foremost, we are working to find a solution together with Unibuss that does not affect Ruter’s customers,” she said. 

“But as those responsible for public transport, we have both a plan and an emergency organization ready to also handle a bankruptcy,” Skarsbø Moen added. 

Should Unibuss go bankrupt, its buses would become part of the bankruptcy estate and if such an event were to occur while passengers were in transit, all passengers would need to disembark at the next stop so the buses can be transported to the depot. 

Ruter said it had an eye on the market to try and see what could be available in terms of extra buses and equipment. 

It said that its priority would be to ensure that school transport, and that healthcare workers could get to work, in the event of a sudden lack of buses. 

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