The wedding of Princess Märtha Louise and Durek Verrett has been shrouded in secrecy. The event, which is largely closed to the Norwegian press, has required a lot of planning for the local police.
– This is an extraordinary event, but we have planned it for a long time, and we have taken out the personnel we think we need, says the police station manager Tony André Gjerde in Sykkylven and Stranda to NTB.
He is aware that this will cost money, but he says that they do not yet have an overview of how much the police will have to fork out to solve the princess wedding in a proper way.
– Our main mission is related to guests who have a claim to protection. At the same time, we must ensure that we are well prepared to solve other work tasks in Geiranger.
– Calculate extra time
Gjerde says Geiranger is used to a lot of people visiting the tiny village in Stranda municipality. The scenic square with a couple of hundred inhabitants is high up among Sunnmøre’s most visited, as far as tourists are concerned.
With one road in and out of Geiranger, the local population will be affected by the wedding.
– The local population must expect that there will be closures or regulation of traffic, but we will try to make the closures as short as possible.
Therefore, Gjerde asks those who are thinking of going to or through Geiranger to calculate extra time. But the site manager will not discourage people from making the trip, even though it can get hectic.
– Geiranger is open to everyone, so we will do what we can to ensure there is a good flow.
Arming the police
The police have decided that their patrols will be armed during the princess wedding in Ålesund and Geiranger in the next few days.
– Arming is a security measure to prevent and ensure a quick and effective response from the police should it become necessary, says chief of staff Kenneth Sætre in a press release from Møre og Romsdal police district.
He emphasizes that neither the police nor PST are aware of specific threats against the event or the guests.
– It is a purely preventive measure to create safety as we expect that a lot of people may gather both in Ålesund and in Geiranger, says the chief of staff.
Accustomed to larger assignments
When asked by NTB whether this is the biggest assignment for Møre og Romsdal police district ever, station manager Gjerde replies that they are used to larger assignments.
– We have many large events in the police district. So we have good experience with resource extraction and events that require additional staffing, he says.
He confirms that the police in Møre and Romsdal are collaborating with national aid resources throughout the weekend.
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2024-08-30 23:05:25
