CLAN – Slagelse Police, Slagelse, Denmark by VUC Vestsjælland Syd, Slagelse, DK CLAN – Continuous Learning for Adults with Needs 134649-LLP-1-2007-1-IT-GRUNDTVIG-GMP Grant Agreement 2007-3569/001-001 This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the author , and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained there 1
The police in Denmark, in the Faroe Islands and in Greenland constitute one national
force, employed directly by the state.
Denmark
The area of Denmark covers 43,000 square kilometres, which means that it is the smallest
country in Scandinavia. Denmark has 5.4 million inhabitants, who
every summer take pleasure in the fact that most of the country is surrounded by water along
7,300 kilometres of coast, apart from a 68 kilometre long frontier with Germany.
Overall political decisions are taken at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen,
which houses the Government and the 179 democratically elected members of the Folketing
(Danish Parliament). At least every four years, the Prime Minister must call a
general election.
Denmark is divided into fi ve geographical regions. It is their responsibility, among other
things, that hospitals and the general public health system function optimally. Denmark is,
furthermore, divided into 98 municipalities where local decisions are taken regarding for
example childcare, schools, elderly care and construction works.
Denmark is a member of the European Union (EU), the United Nation (UN) and the defence
alliance NATO.
Organisation
The police in Denmark, the Faroe Islands and Greenland constitute one national
force, employed directly by the state. The Minister for Justice, who is the chief policeauthority, exercises his powers through the National Commissioner, and the
Commissioners of the police districts.
There are approximately 11,000 police offi cials in Denmark. They serve with the Danish
National Police, in Greenland, in the Faroe Islands and with the 12 police districts that cover
The appropriation for the police and the prosecution service totals approximately DKK 7.5
billion annually.
Statistics
Denmark is in many ways a very safe and secure country to live in. However, as in all
other societies, there are some citizens who do not comply with current laws and
regulations.They commit burglary, steal cars and bicycles; they are drug traffi ckers
or infl ict violence on others.
Every year, more than 400,000 criminal offences are reported to the police.Some people also
violate the sections of the traffi c legislation and are caught for speed-ing or drunk driving.
Approximately 275,000 persons are charged with violating the Road Traffic Act every year.
Several times a year the police publish various statistics on crime in Denmark. They are
available on the website of the police at www.politi.dk under the menu called “statistik”.
Duties of the Police
The duties of the police are to ensure that laws and regulations are complied with
and to take the necessary steps to prevent crime. This is achieved among other
things by way of regular patrolling and by criminal investigation. The police also
administer a number of areas that are subject to authorisation.
When thinking of the police, most people see a white car with fl ashing blue lights on the roof
and two police officers. And that is the way most citizens encounter the police in varioussituations: in connection with traffic accidents, when an ambulance is escorted to hospital, and
when the police conduct speed checks. Or when a burglar has gone through the cupboards and
drawers, and the police arrive to look for fi ngerprints and other evidence, and to calm down
those whose home has been burgled.
Police duties include a great variety of tasks and cover the whole of society both geographi-
cally and socially. The purpose and duties of the police are set out in section 1 of the Act on
"The purpose of the police is to maintain safety, security, peace and order in society. The police
shall further this purpose by means of preven-tion, assistance and law enforcement."
In brief, one of the most important tasks of the police is to ensure that the legislation adoptedby politicians is complied with. In addition, however, the police must also maintain security,
peace and order among the citizens to ensure that everybody can move freely and safely
everywhere in the country.
However, not every police officer wears a blue shirt and drives a white so-called uniform police
car. Many carry out their tasks in plain clothes. It means that they wear their own clothes and
look like any other man or woman in society. It has its advantages when special cases are to
be investigated, when work has to be under-taken in various criminal environments, or when
bars and discos are to be routinely patrolled on a Saturday night. However, police officers
always carry their duty weapons and their police badges.
Furthermore, police officers are also involved in crime prevention at schools and youth clubs,
as driving test examiners, and as bodyguards to, among others, politicians and members of
the Royal Family.
Greenland and the Faroe Islands
The duties of the police in Greenland and the Faroe Islands are of a similar nature as those of a
Danish police district.
Last Modified: 17. august 2007
How to become a Police Officer
Everybody may apply to become a police officer. It is the National
Commissioner’s Office that employs police officials in the Danish police force.
All police officers in Denmark and in the Faroe Islands have attended the
Police College, which is situated in Copenhagen. In Greenland, there is also a
police college with exactly the same admission requirements and training
can attend, for example, project management, IT, and HR educational
programmes.
Danish police officers also participate in peace-keeping missions at flashpoints throughout the world, and the police have people posted in many
other countries.
Learn more
If you wish to learn more about admission requirements, the training and the
job as a police offi cer, you will fi nd information on the special website of the police at www.blivpolitibetjent.dk .
Last Modified: 17. august 2007
CLAN – Slagelse Police, Slagelse, Denmark
Working life and Private Life
It is important to create possibilities for a multifaceted place of work, where employees of
various backgrounds such as age, gender, ethnicity, education, etc. have the possibility of
creating a good balance between the demands that are made by their work and the various
needs and circumstances outside their place of work.
Attention must be paid to the fact that the culture at the place of work influences several
relations. This could be to what extend the use of flexibility in connection with temporaryabsences e.g. maternity leave, father/parent leave, leave towards retirement and many other
conditions is seen accessible, and whether this will be of consequence for the individual’s
future possibilities. This can also be the ability to show respect for dissimilarity and create
equal possibilities for all and thereby the conditions for diversity.
Management and employees are jointly responsible for creating a harmonious connection
between work and family life, giving space for the whole employee (holistic approach) and
The working hours and placement of the individual employee is fixed with due regard to the
tasks of the place of duty, the routines and the needs. As far as possible due regard is taken tothe employee’s well-founded need for well-being, safety and family life, not forgetting the
tasks that must be solved in an effective, flexible and high-quality way.
Holidays and overtime should be taken continuously, but in a balance between the wishes of
the individual, the planning of other employees’ duties, the collective planning of holidays and
the district’s aim for getting rid of outstanding hours.
Shift hoursIn order to distribute inconvenient hours to more employees and to secure as few night and
weekend duties as possible it is the aim that as many police civil servants participate in shift-
hour-duties e.g. through short-term transfer to other departments in order to acquire
competences in a special field, and employees who normally do not work shift hours can be
asked to take part in preparedness duties in order that the frequency of weekend duties is
distributed on as many employees as possible.
Exemption from working shift hours or having night duty will normally only be given after
consulting the doctor of the personnel and obtaining a certificate.
1. The following principles for planning of duty have been agreed on for shift-hour-duties:
2. Due to the maintaining of a 24-hour service a 40 hour week and 8 hour duties are
planned for those employees who participate continuously in shift- hour-duties.
3. Employees who are not part of a continuous shift-hour-duty do not acquire free time
according to the 37-hour rule, because the individual person basically has the possibility
of a differentiated planning of duty outside the norm period.
4. The planning of duty takes place in accordance with the regulations for working hours
and if at all possible duties are planned in accordance with the recommendation of
“Project Shift Hours” as follows:
• Maximum 2-4 nights at a time
• Avoid short intervals between 2 shifts unless extraordinarily required according
