The Oslo police district has reported a 39% clearance rate for reported crimes in the past year, the lowest in Norway and the lowest rate since the introduction of the neighborhood police reform in 2016. This represents a drop of 14 percentage points since the reform began, leading to rising concerns about law enforcement effectiveness in the capital. In 2025, this figure slightly improved to 33%, but still reflects the ongoing challenges faced by police in combating crime in urban areas.

The low clearance rate has been attributed to the unique challenges of policing a capital city with high levels of tourism and transient populations. Beate Brinch Sand, the head of the prosecution unit in the Oslo police district, noted that the area has historically struggled to maintain a high clearance rate due to the nature of capital city crimes, which include a significant amount of theft and property crime. The influx of tourists exacerbates these issues, making it more difficult for police to effectively address and resolve cases.

Despite the slight improvement in the clearance rate from 2024 to 2025, the persistence of low resolution rates raises important questions about the allocation of resources and the strategies employed by local law enforcement. As authorities seek to enhance their crime-fighting capabilities, they may need to reconsider their approaches to address the specific challenges posed by urban crime in a bustling metropolitan context.