The Norwegian government has strengthened the police budget in the revised national budget, but it still remains tight this year. The police department’s priorities, staffing, and resource allocation will be impacted, but to a lesser degree than previously feared. The funds from the revised budget are expected to ease the strain of the police department’s operation, but there is still concern over its ability to balance its budget due to high inflation and the costs associated with purchasing equipment from abroad. Additionally, the police department has had to maintain a high level of staffing, which is not sustainable given the available funds. The department will have to reduce the number of positions, although without layoffs, in addition to winding down temporary tasks to balance the budget. The police department will receive a general increase of NOK 355 million, which will be used to reduce the number of police job cuts. Furthermore, NOK 215 million will be allocated to handle and register refugees from Ukraine, while NOK 90 million will cover increased personnel costs to secure and maintain Norway’s NATO membership.
Overall, the police department will have to use the additional funds to determine the sustainable level of staffing and activity in the long run. The department is expected to use the opportunity provided by the revised national budget to evaluate cost-effective measures that will help balance local budgets. Nevertheless, there is still dialogue with all sub-units to determine what measures they can implement to reach a balanced budget by the end of the year.