Give the police more resources!

There are only 18 traffic police officers left in Greater Gothenburg

The police and its resources is a pretty hot topic right now.
And it’s only getting worse.
This week, for example, the traffic police force in Gothenburg has become even smaller.
As I see it, the only solution is that the government has to assign more resources.

The development within the police has not followed our country’s expansion. In recent years we have become more and more residents, while the traffic on our roads has increased. But the number of police officers has not augmented. Now, there is talk of the need for a further 1500-2000 police officers. I really hope that our politicians will devote some resources to solve this.

I am not saying that we should become a police state, but I want us to be safe on our streets and ride safely on our roads.

From NTEX and the transport industry’s perspective, I am thinking about the traffic police officers above all. This seems to be crazy.
It is difficult to understand that as of this week, 18 traffic police officers are working the ground in Gothenburg. Ten years ago they were 56. These 18 must also be of assistance in Borås and Uddevalla.

To me this seems to be pure madness.
I believe no one has been able to avoid that the traffic on our roads has increased significantly in recent years?
During the last years the Swedish heavy truck traffic has increased by 20 percent. Add to that all foreign traffic – which is becoming heavier every year – and it's not hard to figure out that this is an impossible task to uphold for so few police officers.
Traffic police officers should check loads, the driving and resting times, the trucks themselves, and ensure that foreign truckers do not to perform illegal transportation in the country and so on.

The equation does not add up. There should be many more traffic police officers on our roads; otherwise we could be facing big problems in traffic. Moreover, there is a great risk that the competition in the transport industry will become completely distorted, as fewer controls invites people to stretch the statutory rules, for example.
Give the police more resources now!

Photo: Traffic control/The Swedish Police