Oslo: Police scared of gangs

Police are apparently afraid that the gang members involved in the shooting on Sunday have fled the country. The shooting involved two Pakistani gangs. Additionally, the shooting brings up an even more serious problem - Oslo police are afraid to deal with the gangs.

Note that Finn Abrahamsen, a police representative, continues to refer to the gangs as if they were kids playing a game. They "love to grab attention" and "they like playing cat-and-mouse". According to him they just don't realize how dangerous guns are. Apparently they're just playing games and not dealing with drugs, crime, weapons and violence. Putting aside the ethnicity and origin of the gangs, I think Oslo will not be facing an easy time with that kind of atttitude.

Norwegian News has a good report on a response by a Pakistani-Norwegian politician.

Police in Oslo have sent out an international warrant for the arrest of four gang members tied to a shoot-out at the Aker Brygge waterfront complex on Sunday.

None has responded to a police request that they turn themselves in. "These are people who like to play cat and mouse with the police," said Finn Abrahamsen of the Oslo Police District.

Police continue to examine evidence collected at the scene where as many as 20 shots were fired by alleged members of Oslo’s rival "A" and "B" gangs.

Two men, also tied to the gangs, were wounded in the shoot-out that shocked passersby at the popular and busy complex that features restaurants and shops along Oslo’s inner harbour.

Newspaper Aftenposten reported Tuesday, meanwhile, that police in Oslo have been reluctant to crack down on the gangs out of fear for their own safety.

Some gangs in Oslo's Stovner district are so difficult to deal with that even a routine check can require two patrols and at least four officers.

"I have it in writing from officers at the Stovner police station that they have chosen not to react to some types of crimes," said Sigve Bolstad of the Oslo Police Association. "This is a very demanding situation that requires greater resources."

Gang activity in the Furuset district is also widespread, and the area has seen several shoot-outs. Some of those involved in the Aker Brygge episode over the weekend are believed to be from Furuset.

"Violence and threats against the police have exploded in recent years," said Arne Johannessen of the police officers' union Politiets Fellesforbund. "In a survey we made, 60 percent of our members said they had been subjected to violence or threats on the job."

Police chief Anstein Gjengedal said he was surprised to hear the situation at Stovner was so serious, and said he'd send more forces there.

"We can't let these gangs dominate," he said.

Source: Aftenposten (English)

See also: Oslo: gang warfare