| Type | Government agency |
|---|---|
| Industry | Police force |
| Founded | 1937 |
| Headquarters | Oslo, Norway |
| Area served | Norway |
| Key people | Janne Kristiansen (Director) |
| Parent | Norwegian Ministry of Justice and the Police |
| Website | www.pst.politiet.no |
The Norwegian Police Security Service (Norwegian: Politiets sikkerhetstjeneste, PST) is the police security agency of Norway, somewhat comparable to the British MI5. The agency was previously known as POT (Politiets overvåkningstjeneste or Police Surveillance Agency), the name change was dictated by the Parliament of Norway on 2 June 2001.
The service was established in 1936 or 1937. It is responsible for monitoring and securing the interior security in Norway. Known operational departments include counterintelligence unit, counterterrorism unit, counterproliferation and organized crime unit, counterextremism unit, investigation unit, surveillance unit, technology unit, security analysis unit and foreign citizens unit. In addition, PST is in charge of all VIP protection domestically and abroad except for the royal family, which has its own independent escort service.
PST is unlike all ordinary police services not a part of the National Police Directorate but like Økokrim and several other special police units placed directly under the Ministry of Justice and the Police. Also, the agency is under the direct scrutiny of the Norwegian Parliamentary Intelligence Oversight Committee, after it conducted unlawful political surveillance on national citizens during the Cold War.
The organization consists of Den Sentrale Enhet (central unit) that is located in Nydalen, Oslo, as well as individual police officers in all the police regions.
The organization is currently headed by Janne Kristiansen.
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The agency is scheduled to investigate itself, to find out if their intelligence work was beyond reproach (forsvarlig) prior to the Oslo bombing and the Utøya mass murder.[1] The identity of the leaders of the (agency's) two fact-finding comissions, has not been publicized according to Dagbladet.[2]
Magnus Ranstorp said "It is extremely odd and unfortunate that PST shall investigate itself".[3]
This is a list of the directors of the agency.[4]
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