The Border Commissioner’s primary task is to oversee that the border agreement between Norway and Russia are fulfilled by both parties. The duty of the Border Commission is to prevent and limit the scope of incidents that are in violation of the applicable agreements and to negotiate with the Russian border authorities to resolve and conflicts and incidents.
Although under the jurisdiction of the police, the Border Commissioner has been recruited from the armed forces and is wearing military uniform.
Not so any more, according to the Government’s police reform presented by Prime Minister Erna Solberg in Oslo on Tuesday.
“Aimed at getting a best possible overall handling of the challenges included in the border cooperation, the Border Commission will be merged with Eastern Finnmark Police District and the Chief of Police will be Border Commissioner,” the reform reads.
The current Border Commissioner will, however, stay on post during a transition period of up to three years, but then as an employee with the police district.
“Change for the better”
“I note that the function of the Border Commissioner is placed with the Chief of Police. I do not see that it will lead to any other changes than that the Border Commissioner will report to the Chief of Police instead of to the Police Directorate as it is now,” says Ellen Katrine Hætta to BarentsObserver.
She believes the change will be for the better.
“I think this will provide a better service, especially to our Russian colleagues,” she says underlining that the border cooperation with Russia as such will not be changed in any form. “That will be continued.”
Military border guards
With the reform, the Norwegian Government ends a history that goes back to 1955 when the Border Commission took over the patrol of the border to the Soviet Union from Sør-Varanger Police District. Since 1958, the patrol of the border was transferred to the Norwegian Army, who created the Garrison of Sør-Varanger. Although being army officers and conscripts wearing military uniform; the border guards are under jurisdiction of the police.
Now, the Chief of Police will also serve as Border Commissioner, being one of Norway’s highest ranged police officers.
From 27 to 12 police districts
Eastern Finnmark Police District is, together with Oslo, the only of today’s 27 police districts the only one that will remain geographically as it is with today. With the reform the number of districts will be reduced to twelve.
Western Finnmark, Troms and the northernmost parts of Midtre Hålogaland will be merged and the headquarters is to be in Tromsø. Helgeland, Salten and rest of Midtre Hålogaland will be merged to be Nordland Police District, most likely with headquarters in Bodø.
Eastern Finnmark Police District will continue to have headquarters in Kirkenes, but since the district is the less populated in Norway with some 30,000 inhabitants, the reform says a close cooperation with District North (Tromsø) can be established when required.
Chief of Police Ellen Katrine Hætta says she wanted Finnmark to be one district.
“When the proposal is one Eastern Finnmark Police District that is unchanged, I am pleased with that on behalf of the population in the east.”
The aim of the police reform is to provide faster response time, as well as to cut administrative work by positioning more police out in the streets.
