Foreword by the Director General
The Norwegian Police Security Service is the national security service and is responsible for preventing and investigating serious crime targeted at the nation’s security. Our most prioritised task is to prevent the implementation of acts of terrorism directed at Norway. The threat of terrorism traverses national boundaries, and close international cooperation is vital to our success in meeting this challenge and forestalling such acts. PST’s other work tasks also show that national boundaries do not pose any particular deterrent. Close collaboration and good prerequisites for the exchange of information with the police and security services of other countries are therefore perhaps the most decisive factors for our ability to succeed in the work we have been assigned.
It is important that PST is efficient and effective in its preventive efforts. For me, however, it is equally important that this work is performed in a manner that protects the fundamental principles of public security and that takes into account the necessary considerations for the protection of personal privacy. We must constantly ensure that we are achieving the correct balance in our work. We are totally dependent on inspiring trust in the general public and on demonstrating our legitimacy in order to conduct our activities as the nation’s security service.
One element that builds trust is openness. I believe that greater openness about our work, our assessments and our viewpoints is important for the public’s perception of the service. I would like us to be as open as possible. There are a number of factors that we have to take into consideration in this context, but nonetheless we have the opportunity to develop even more in this direction.
PST0910 has been created to provide more information about the activities of PST, with emphasis on the service’s main areas of work during the preceding year. The report is only published on the Internet, and PST’s open threat assessment is included. My wish is for the entire population to have access to more knowledge about PST – both its immediate past and its immediate future. 