Marie Benedicte Bjørnland
Benedicte Bjørnland | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Director of Police | |
| Assumed office 1 April 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Odd Reidar Humlegård |
| Director of the Norwegian Police Security Service | |
| In office 8 June 2012 – 29 March 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Janne Kristiansen |
| Succeeded by | Hans Sverre Sjøvold |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Marie Benedicte Bjørnland 30 April 1965 Kristiansand, Vest-Agder, Norway |
| Nationality | Norwegian |
| Children | 2 |
| Occupation | Lawyer |
Marie Benedicte Bjørnland (born 30 April 1965) is a Norwegian lawyer. She is the current Director of Police since 2019, and was the head of the Norwegian Police Security Service (PST) from 2012 to 2019.
She was born in Kristiansand and grew up in Lier and Sandefjord. After obtaining a Master of Law degree from the University of Oslo, she worked as a deputy judge in Skien and Porsgrunn and as a consultant in the Directorate for prices,[1] with most of her career in various positions in the police force, becoming Chief of police in Vestfold in 2007.[2] As part of the latter position, she led the local branch of PST.[3]
After Janne Kristiansen resigned as head of PST in January 2012, Bjørnland was appointed the new leader by Stoltenberg's Second Cabinet on 8 June 2012, being one of six applicants for the position.[2]
She is married with two children and resides in Sandefjord.[4]
In 2016, Bjørnland stated in a radio interview with The Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation that being expressively 'anti-Islam' is enough to be considered as 'right-wing extremist' by PST.[5]
On 20 December 2018, she was nominated to succeed Odd Reidar Humlegård as director of police. She assumed office on 1 April 2019.[6]
References[]
- ^ Tom Bakkeli et al (8 June 2012) Dette er den nye PST-sjefen (in Norwegian) VG
- ^ a b kathrine Hammerstad (8 June 2012) Dette er den nye PST-sjefen (in Norwegian) NRK.
- ^ Følger med i tiden (in Norwegian) Politilederen.
- ^ Paal Even Nygaard (24 August 2012) Ikke holdepunkter for å si at PST kunne avverget ham (in Norwegian) Sandefjords Blad.
- ^ 'Dagsnytt atten' (9 February 2016) [1] (in Norwegian) PST Trusselvurdering
- ^ "Bjørnland er ny politidirektør" (in Norwegian). NRK. 20 December 2018. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
- 1965 births
- Living people
- Norwegian jurists
- Directors of government agencies of Norway
- University of Oslo alumni
- People from Kristiansand
- People from Sandefjord