NAN-F-48
Borders
Stockholm, Aug. 11, 2017 (dpa/NAN) Danish Government on Friday proposed that troops be deployed to some border crossings with Germany to conduct spot checks to ease pressure on its police after a spike in gang-related shootings in Copenhagen.
Prime Minister Lars Rasmussen told reporters that the national police chief and head of defence were to investigate how the military could help, the aim being a new plan in place by September.
Speaking after a meeting of his Liberal party in Aalborg, Rasmussen did not state how many police officers could be freed up by the border deployment.
The goal is to have more manpower for efforts to contain a series of shootings in recent months believed to be linked to gang turf wars in Copenhagen and several other cities.
“It is completely unacceptable that it has escalated to such a level,’’ Rasmussen said.
On Thursday, three shootings were reported in Copenhagen although no person was hit.
The News Agency Ritzau reports that the Head of the Police Union, Claus Oxfeldt, expressed doubts whether soldiers were suitable for the border spot checks.
In 2016, Home Guard personnel were deployed at three of the 15 border crossings to Germany to take part in spot checks aimed at controlling the flow of migrants. (dpa/NAN)
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Edited by Celine-Damilola Oyewole/Ese E. Ekama