The police want to be visible in Skanderborg. The local police force is domiciled in one of the most beautiful and centrally located buildings in Skanderborg. The red-brick property with its own little square can be found right next to the town hall and houses the uniformed police, the criminal investigation department and the motor vehicle registration office – all part of the Odder police district. The police district covers Odder, Skanderborg, Hørning, Ry and the island of Samsø. “The control centre is situated in Aarhus, but apart from that we have everything here, including detention cells and patrol dogs,” explains the Chief Superintendent, Kristian Thomsen, who is head of the uniformed police. Skanderborg is, however, a relatively peaceful town with the number of offences being around the national average. The police station has been open 24 hours a day since the late 1980s, and this adds to the peace. At the same time, it is a small district, which means that the police officers know the troublemakers – which also helps to put a dampener on things.

The police attach considerable importance to being visible out in the streets and to being accessible. This adds to the sense of security and provides a good basis for collaborating with the citizens. “We cannot prevent all crimes, but we can create a greater sense of security by being visible,” says Kristian Thomsen. Steen Edeling, Detective Chief Superintendent and in charge of the criminal investigation department, adds: “When things happen which create a feeling of insecurity, we take it very seriously, and do our utmost to solve the crimes as quickly as possible. It is important that people can trust us and that they help us by being observant. This is of immense value in our work.” The commissioners agree that an important aspect of their work is ensuring that the people who contact the police are treated properly. In their own words: “We have to feel comfortable about meeting Mr Hansen and Mrs Jensen when we leave the office and drive home through town.”

This is an attitude which is evident in the way the police station’s joint enquiry office functions. “It is not something which you think about, but the vehicle registration office actually attracts people to Skanderborg. For example, we serve car dealers from far and wide who prefer to come to Skanderborg because of our fast and efficient transaction times, high service levels and good parking facilities,” the two commissioners point out. Kristian Thomsen and Steen Edeling feel that they have a constructive dialogue with the municipal authorities .... and with the citizens of Skanderborg in general. This is one of the reasons why they have decided to be part of it all when Skanderborg stages its Dark Night (Sort Nat) event each year with lots of activities and late opening hours in the shops: “We would like the citizens of Skanderborg to feel that they are welcome at the police station, and so we are always pleased when about thousand people drop by on these nights; it is both pleasant and fun.”