Security guards to start soon in Copenhagen/Aarhus

Security guards are on the way in the country’s two largest cities, Copenhagen and Aarhus. In recently concluded budget agreements, the two municipalities have decided to study their first experiences with municipal security guards. With a law that came into force on 15 June, the Danish Parliament has paved the way for municipalities to hire security personnel to patrol and help the police maintain order.
     Aarhus city councillor Jakob Søgaard Clausen (Denmark Democrats) believes guards can make a difference. “I would rather just have a strong and visible police force in Aarhus. But the police are under great pressure from other tasks such as gang conflict and terrorism protection. So this is a task we have to tackle,” he says.
      In Aarhus, a total of DKK three million has been allocated over the next two years for the municipal security guards. According to the councillor, this is enough for the appointment of three guards. The guards do not have police powers, but they can demand order. If there are disturbances of public order or other offences, security guards can take pictures or videos and hand them over to the police.
      In Copenhagen, according to TV 2 Kosmopol, eight million kroner has been allocated over three years for the employment of four municipal security guards. According to the media, they will primarily patrol Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights in the inner city and at Islands Brygge in the summer.
      The Police Federation is far from enthusiastic about the new measure. “I would call it ‘pseudo-security’, where you tell the population that you are doing something, but in reality it is nothing. It would be better to spend the money on more officers,” Federal Chairman Heino Kegel told TV 2 Kosmopol. /ritzau/