Since the findings in the research project on culture in the police force became known last Wednesday, the researchers behind the project have received several warning cases.
– There are several who notify us about cases they have encountered. This gives us a greater basis for being able to say something more about our findings, says Professor Ulla-Britt Lilleaas, who is behind the research project together with Dag Ellingsen.
Party culture
In a press release on the police website last week, police director Benedicte Bjørnland said that she heard about abuse of position to achieve sexual acts in exchange for favorable guards or good references.
– I heard about party culture – and so-called “fuck Thursday” at B3 [bachelor i politiutdanning]camp, Bjørnland said in the press release.
– There have been rumors
Lilleaas will not comment on the number of new alerts, but says that they are from former students at the Police Academy.
– The warnings are not from students, but from women who have been students not too long ago, she says to Dagbladet.
However, she believes that it is unfortunate that expressions such as “fuck Thursday” get attention.
– There will be big headlines and little that emerges from the seriousness, says the researcher.
Employee survey
Police Director Benedicte Bjørnland was presented with the findings of the research two weeks ago.
– There have been stories related to camp stays at the Police Academy, where there must have been sexual relations between students and instructors, Bjørnland says to Dagbladet.
There have also been incidents in police districts or special bodies where subordinates have had sexual relations with a superior for consideration, such as good certificates and advantageous services, says the police director.
Bjørnland wants to investigate the scope of the findings in the research, before further measures are implemented.
– The information we have now received imposes on me and all leaders in the police a duty to act. The first thing we will do is to conduct a more fine-grained employee survey that dives deep into this, with more detailed questions, so that we get a good picture of what we are facing, she says to Dagbladet.
– Serious
– We owe it to our employees – and in particular those who have reported that they have been subjected to sexual harassment – that we clean up, says Bjørnland.
Theme at the next meeting
Minister of Justice Monica Mæland also expects a clean-up.
– Unacceptable. An assault, a harassment, is one too many, and that is not how we should have it in the Norwegian police, Mæland tells Dagbladet.
She says it has had consequences for some, after culture was discovered in, among other places, the West police district earlier this year. However, the new report shows that the culture is more widespread than just applying to one district, something Mæland was familiar with.
She points out that a job must be done both politically, in the police, and in the districts.
– I have regular meetings with the director of police, and this will be a topic at the next meeting, says Mæland.
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