Justice minister vows to overhaul police after audit criticism

Denmark’s justice minister, Nicolai Wammen, says he will “correct and clean up” police practices following scathing criticism from the national audit office, Rigsrevisionen.

Two reports published in mid-May found the police handling of serious and economic crime cases “highly unsatisfactory,” with a risk that solvable violent crimes went uninvestigated. Auditors identified 5,900 violent crime cases and 7,100 economic crime cases where victims were told investigations had begun, yet no investigative steps were taken.

Wammen told news agency Ritzau he takes the findings “extremely seriously” and cannot accept the picture they paint of police work. He will abolish the use of so-called investigation files in potential criminal cases—around 2,000 rape cases were classified this way—and end varying financial thresholds across police districts for how economic crime cases are resolved.

“It must be taken just as seriously, no matter where in the country economic crime occurs,” he said.

The minister will summon all police chiefs to a meeting to stress the issue’s “extremely high priority,” adding: “This is deadly serious. It’s about strong legal certainty for citizens.”

National police chief Thorkild Fogde previously acknowledged the audit raised valid questions about whether citizens receive the police service they expect, though he argued the reports did not present the full picture.