Police step up efforts against harassment and threats ahead of local and regional elections

In the lead-up to the local and regional elections on 18 November, Danish police are intensifying efforts to combat criminal harassment, threats, and other forms of intimidation directed at politicians and others participating in public debate. The goal is to ensure that everyone can take part in democracy under safe and secure conditions.

As part of this initiative, the Danish National Police (Rigspolitiet) will implement a nationwide registration of all reported incidents involving harassment, threats, vandalism, and violence when these actions are motivated by the victim’s participation in public discourse. “Criminal threats and harassment against participants in public debate are a serious matter. It is an important societal responsibility to ensure that everyone—regardless of political affiliation—can engage in democratic debate, and it is obviously concerning when people try to discourage others from participating through threats or harassment. Such incidents must be reported to the police and will be investigated,” says National Commissioner Thorkild Fogde.

The police emphasize that it is a criminal offence to issue threats of violence or similar behaviour—whether by phone, on social media, or other platforms. Anyone experiencing threats or criminal harassment is urged to report the matter to their local police, where it will be recorded and investigated.

The initiative also includes a visible online presence from the Police Online Patrol (Politiets Online Patrulje), which will monitor relevant forums on the internet. Their role is to raise awareness about the rules of democratic debate and intervene in cases of unlawful conduct. “Danish democracy also lives online, where the pace is fast and emotions sometimes run high. That’s why it’s important to remind people that the limits of the criminal law apply online just as they do in the rest of society. Ahead of the election, the Police Online Patrol will be active in preventing and tackling criminal behaviour on the internet,” says Police Director Lasse Boje from the National Unit for Special Crime.

The police also remind the public that destroying or removing election posters is a criminal offence. Such acts will generally be treated as vandalism under the Penal Code and are included in the nationwide registration being carried out in the lead-up to election day.

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