Police and prosecution - StatRes (discontinued), 2012

Key concepts within resource input measured in NOK:

Own production: Defined as the sum of wage costs, the purchase of goods and services and capital costs. Data for capital costs, i.e. depreciation and imputed interest as a result of capital ties, are not available for the activities within the police and prosecution service. This element is not therefore included in own production for this area. The starting point for the size is item 1-29 in the national accounts.

Wage costs: Includes all expenses that the activities have in their capacity as employer, including social security contributions and pension premiums. The starting point for the size is reported amounts in item 1-29, sub-post 11-19, ref. circular 101. This includes employer's NI contributions, but not travel expenses or the purchase of cleaning services or other outsourced labour-intensive services. Recognised wage reimbursements are deducted, while the estimated premium to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund is added.

Estimated premium to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund: The activities within the police and prosecution service do not pay pension premiums directly to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund, where the employees are members. These premiums, together with similar premiums for a number of other public sector activities, are instead paid in a collective transfer from the treasury to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund. As these premiums are not included in the reported wage costs, the reported wage costs show a lower level than is actually the case. A 15 per cent mark-up is therefore applied to the reported wage costs (excluding reported employer’s NI contributions), which roughly corresponds to the level by which direct paying activities charge to their accounts. A corresponding mark-up is also applied in StatRes for all activities that do not have costs for pension premiums included in their accounts.

Purchase of goods and services: Includes the value of used intermediate products and services in the production. The starting point for the size is reported amounts in item 1-29, sub-post 21-29, ref. circular 101.

Transfers: Covers contributions to the private sector, i.e. item 70-79 in the national accounts. The starting point for the size is reported amounts in item 70-79, ref. circular 101.

Investments: Acquisitions and major maintenance work in connection with property, or major acquisitions of assets with a long-term value. The starting point for the size is reported amounts in item 30-49, ref. circular 101. Any revenues from corresponding sales are deducted. No activities within the police and prosecution authority reported any investments in the years 2005, 2006 or 2007.

Own production in NOK per capita: The amount for own production in NOK divided into average population in the statistics year. This average is calculated by adding the number of inhabitants in Statistics Norway’s official population statistics at the start and end of the statistics year and dividing the total by two.

Key concepts and delimitations in the personnel statistics:

The total figures for man-years in the police and prosecution authority are limited to contracted man-years, adjusted for long-term leaves (sick leave recommended by a doctor and leave of absence to care for a child).

Police positions are limited to apply to specific job codes from SST. Statistics Norway’s delimitation is done in consultation with the National Police Directorate.

Key concepts in the crime statistics:

Offences reported to the police are defined as: All offences registered by the police as reported during the statistical year. Traffic-misdemeanours and misdemeanours against the Duty Act that are settled by means of on the spot fines, are not regarded as reported, and are not therefore included in the statistics.

Offences investigated are defined as: All offences that are completely investigated during the year. Completely investigated is defined as the offence been given a legally valid decision.

Category of offence is a standard that divides the offences into two, crimes and misdemeanours. A crime is a punishable act of a more serious nature than a misdemeanour. Crimes and misdemeanours in violation of the Penal Code are covered in sections 2 and 3 of the act respectively. According to § 2 of the Penal Code, punishable acts described in other legislation are crimes if they have a sentence framework of more than three months imprisonment, unless otherwise decided. Other punishable acts are misdemeanours.

Apart from this in criminal law difference of degree of misdemeanours and crimes, the manner of dealing with misdemeanours is simpler than for crimes. In misdemeanour cases, it is the police that decide whether charges should be brought, whereas the public prosecutor decides this in the case of a crime. Misdemeanours can to a greater extent than crimes be determined by a ticket fines with no sentence. When dealing with misdemeanours, no defence is normally required. Some offences (e.g. damage of property and some special laws) can, according to legislation, be classed both as crimes and misdemeanours. Whether the individual act is regarded as a misdemeanour or crime can be seen in the statistics, which use the standard for Type of offence. For a more detailed description, see Standard classifications.

Group of offence is a standard that divides the offences into 10 main groups. The standard is common to Statistics Norway and the police, but some statistics only use the standard to group crimes. For a more detailed description, see Standard classifications.

Offences solved is calculated based on Statistics Norway’s classification of the legally valid decisions. As a general rule, all offences in which the police and prosecution authority have charged at least one person at the end of the investigation, are regarded as solved. Offences are also regarded as solved when an application for prosecution is incomplete or withdrawn, but in such cases no details are obtained on potential persons charged. The percentage of offences solved is calculated based on the police and prosecution authority’s crime solving. This entails all offences that are transferred (with indictments or charges in the district court) and decided in a court of law, being regarded as solved. This also applies to the offences where the court has subsequently acquitted the supposed offender of the offences they were charged with/indicted for. Cases where the investigation has concluded that no violation has taken place are not included in the statistics of offences investigated, or in the calculation of the percentage of offences solved. There are major differences between the percentage of offences solved for the different types of crimes. The total percentage of offences solved for Norway, or for a police district, is therefore strongly dependent on how the offences are distributed by type.

Recidivism is calculated based on a survey of persons that have been charged at the end of an investigation. The survey covers persons charged with an offence in the year five years prior to the statistical year. Recidivism is defined here as a new charge in one or more of the subsequent five years. No consideration is given in the survey to different forms of recidivism obstacles during the observation period. Persons charged with no reliable identification data are not included in the survey.

Fear of being subject to a crime is measured in the Survey of level of living that include the topics victimization and fear of crime. Fear of exposure to violence or threats is measured by asking the interviewee whether they have recently been worried about being exposed to violence or threats when going out in their neighbourhood alone. Fear of being exposed to theft or criminal damage is measured by asking the interviewee if they have recently feared being exposed to theft or criminal damage.

The police districts in the crime statistics are used to break down violations of the law according to the body that is ascribed as owner of the criminal proceedings, on the date Statistics Norway takes an extraction of the basic data. In addition to the 27 police districts (see Standard classifications), the Governor of Svalbard and some central Special agencies can also be owners (i.e. have responsibility for follow-up) of criminal cases during different stages of the criminal proceedings process. The Norwegian National Authority for Investigation and Prosecution of Economic and Environmental Crime (Økokrim), National Criminal Investigation Service (Kripos) and the National Police Immigration Service (PU) can register and have their own cases in the first phase of the criminal proceedings, and therefore be included in the category Special agency in the statistics on reported crimes. Økokrim and Kripos also have prosecuting authority and can decide criminal cases, and are therefore included in the category Special agency in the statistics on investigated crimes.

Key concepts and delimitations in the statistics about the civil administration of justice:

The police districts are used in the statistics within the civil administration of justice at elementary level to break down which district is responsible for the follow-up of the case processing. An application for payment is normally registered with the enforcement officer in the police district where the defaulter has general legal domicile at the end of the relevant year. Physical persons have legal domicile where they live. With regard to execution cases, the legal domicile of companies registered in the Central Register of Establishments and Enterprises is where the activity’s head office is located according to the register. Where the defaulter does not have a known address in Norway, the case may be processed for the last known address where the claim applies to an obligation incurred in Norway, or an obligation that is to be met in Norway. Where the defaulter lives abroad, but receives earnings from Norway, the case will be processed by the enforcement officer where the party paying the earnings is located (Enforcement Act). A debt settlement case can only be lodged when the defaulter lives in Norway, and must be lodged for the enforcement officer where the debtor lives (Debt Settlement Act).

Application for write of execution: A party with a pecuniary claim that has not been paid by the debtor can demand payment of the claim where an enforceable basis for execution exists. The enforcement officer shall thus ensure that the party with a legal claim for payment is paid by undertaking an execution lien in the defaulter’s property or an arrestment of the defaulter’s wages or earnings (Enforcement Act). The basis for execution is broken down into the general basis for execution (Enforcement Act l § 4-1), and the special basis for execution (Enforcement Act § 7-2). The most common basis for execution is a ruling by the Conciliation Board or district court (Enforcement Act § 4-1), and a debenture or written document (Enforcement Act § 7-2). A claimant may, in an application for writ of execution, demand payment for more than one pecuniary claim against the same defaulter. Payment can be demanded in the same application from more defaulters when they have a joint obligation, and payment can be demanded from everyone in the same district (Enforcement Act § 7-4).

A debt settlement gives persons with serious debt problems the opportunity to sort out their finances by agreeing with the creditors that the debtor will repay as much as possible of the debt within a specific period of time – normally 5 years (Debt Settlement Act). After this time, the debtor will normally be free of debt. This also applies even where the debtor is unable to pay some of the creditors.

Key concepts and delimitations in the statistics about immigration administration:

The police districts receive and prepare applications for residence permits, travel documents, permanent residence and citizenship. In some types of cases, the police districts can also grant permits where it is clear that the criteria have been met. The International Police Immigration Service (PU) registers asylum seekers and investigates their identity and travel route. The PU is also responsible for the extradition of persons who are not legally domiciled in Norway. The foreign service missions receive various types of applications and process the majority of visa applications. The foreign service missions help the UDI to collect and control data and documents in residence and asylum cases. Cases concerning resettlement refugees are sent directly to the UDI.

Cases received: A case that is registered as received by the police. See Population under Production.

Asylum applications: Applications for protection and recognition as a refugee. Only covers applications that are submitted in Norway.

Other cases: Other cases include cases relating to the Public Administration Act, expulsion cases and cases relating to identity.

Travel documents: Foreign nationals with a residence permit in Norway may be issued with Norwegian travel documents for refugees or foreign national passports if they have been granted refugee status in Norway. Persons who have been granted residence on humanitarian grounds can also obtain a Norwegian foreign national passport after assessment of the case. Others with residence permits who can document that they are unable to obtain a passport from the authorities in their native country may also be issued with a Norwegian foreign national passport.

Work and residence incl. EEA: Applications for work permits where the purpose of the stay is to work in Norway, in addition to permits granted in accordance with EEA regulations.

Registration system for EEA nationals: A temporary registration system was introduced on 1 October 2009 for non-Nordic EEA nationals, which was subsequently a part of Norway’s implementation of the EU directive on free mobility. Nationals of Bulgaria and Romania still had to apply for a residence permit in line with the EEA regulations, since transitional arrangements for them were still in force. The registration system was made permanent on 1 January 2010. This means that all non-Nordic EU nationals must register with the Norwegian authorities when they intend staying in Norway for more than 3 months. In order to obtain a personal identification number and to report the move to Norway, the EU nationals who are covered by the system must demonstrate that they are registered.

Permanent residence: Applications for permanent residence can be issued if a person has been living in Norway for three years with a valid residence or work permit which forms the basis for such permission. The permit entitles the holder to permanent residence and general entitlement to accept work in Norway.

Family immigration: Applications for permits where the applicant is or will be a close family member of a Norwegian national or a foreign national who is legally domiciled in Norway.

Citizenship: pplication for Norwegian citizenship.

Studies: Application for permits where the applicant is to study in Norway. Also includes applications for au pair permits and apprentice/trainee permits.

Deportation: ases where consideration is given to whether a foreign national must leave Norway and can only return if special criteria are met. As a general rule, the decision is also valid in other countries covered by the Schengen agreement, and for a minimum of two years.

Visas: Applications to stay in Norway for a specific period of time, normally up to three months. Visas are normally granted for just one visit, but may be granted for more. During the period that the visa is valid, the applicant is also entitled to visit other countries in the Schengen area.

Forced return by police: The police have the authority to forcibly return asylum seekers to another country in Europe where the asylum application is to be processed there. The police will also forcibly return to their native country previous asylum seekers and others who are illegally domiciled in Norway and who do not leave voluntarily, as well as other foreign nationals who are subject to deportation due to a criminal conviction. Expulsion and/or deportation are carried out in accordance with the Immigration Act. It is mainly the police districts that issue decisions and implement decisions on expulsion. Deportation decisions are mainly issued by the UDI after the case has been established by a police district. Deportation decisions are implemented by both the PU and police districts.

This is the total number of persons who are subject to a forced return in the three categories given below:

Asylum: This is all forced returns that are carried out because the person has an obligation to leave Norway based on a final rejection of an asylum application. Dublin: This is all forced returns that are carried out where the person has to go to a country that is a member of the cooperation under the Dublin II Regulation. Others: This category covers all other persons subject to a forced return, mainly convicted criminals and persons who are refused entry at the border.

Key concepts and delimitations in the education statistics:

Current education/registered students as at October the first are registered at an educational establishment.

The following Statistics Norway standards are used:

Expenses are mainly classified according to the definitions in the IMF’s Government Finance Statistics Manual 2001 (GFSM2001). In some cases, the definitions are deviated from in order to give a more realistic picture of the resource use.

Category of offence (see appendix A in NOS Crime statistics and appendix 9.3 in Thorsen and Haslund 2008).

Group of offence (see appendix B in NOS Crime statistics and appendix 9.3 in Thorsen and Haslund 2008).

Police district (There are 27 police districts, see also Database for standard classifications).

Education is grouped according to the Norwegian Standard Classification of Education, NUS2000. NUS2000 is a six-digit code system that classifies education activities by level and subject. Internationally, UNESCO’s International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) is used, which is also based on level and subject classifications.

Population registered at January the first in the statistics year, per 1 000 inhabitants.