Norway Patches

Norwegian Police Service

Originally the Norweigan police was organised at the municipal level while the chiefs of police were appointed by the King.  In 1936, however, legislation making police services the direct responsibility of the state was adopted, and today, the National Police Service is centrally administered by the Ministry of Justice and Police.  The Police Service is divided into 54 districts.  The districts vary greatly in size, and districts outside Oslo are further divided into 370 lensmann or rural police districts.  There are approximately 6,000 and 2,000 employees in the police and lensmann services respectively.  Moreover, there is a special police force on Svalbard which is headed by the District Governor.

The duties of the police have been set out in legislation, and the main tasks include maintaining law and order, preventing crime, protecting citizens and their lawful rights, investigating criminal offences and serving the public at large.

Each of the 54 districts is headed by a Chief of Police.  The largest police district headquarters are divided into the following departments:  Uniformed Department (including traffic police), Criminal Investigation Department, Legal and Licensing Department, Administrative Department, Planning Department and Security Department.

There are also a number of central police institutions which serve the country at the national level, including the Norwegian Police Security Service, the National Bureau of Crime Investigation, the Mobile Police, the National Bureau of Police Procurement, the Police Computing Service, the National Authority for Investigation and Prosecution of Economic and Environmental Crime, and the National Police Academy.

Police officers are required to complete a 3 year basic training programme.

The Police Emblem
The design of the emblem of the police was laid down in the Royal Decree of 13 March 1936, and was first utilised in 1937 when the police services were reorganised.  The emblem was modernised in august 1994.  The emblem depicts the national coat-of-arms flanked by two fasces, which are an ancient Roman symbol of authority.

Norwegian Correctional Service

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