Danish News in Brief: July’s first summer day was almost its last!

In other news, the police’s fingerprint department and the neighbourhood of Tingbjerg are grabbing the wrong type of headlines

Denmark finally had its first proper summer’s day in July on Sunday – a temperature exceeding 25 degrees – scuppering the month’s chances of passing without one for the first time in 38 years. The thermometer hit 26.4 degrees at 16:00 at Hammer Odde on Bornholm, while Holbæk in west Zealand saw temperatures rise to 25.2.

Konservative wants to extend SU to artist graduates
Konservative would like to extend the SU student stipend to recent graduates pursuing artistic careers in areas such as design. Naser Khader, the party’s spokesperson on cultural affairs, told DR it would enable the graduates to avoid navigating a system in which they are required to apply for jobs outside their area of study. Konservative suggests the graduates should be able to supplement their income with part-time work.

Police flouting fingerprint regulations
The police are failing to delete fingerprints after holding them for ten years, according to DR. Despite Parliament ruling in 2010 that the prints of unconvicted individuals could no longer be kept for longer than a decade, the police are keeping them, only deleting those belonging to individuals over the age of 80 or those who have been dead for at least two years. Brian Mikkelsen, the minister who oversaw the passing of the legislation in 2010, said he regretted the bill in 2015, calling it a “stupid decision”.

Troubled neighbourhood’s cost to society
A Berlingske report has drawn attention to how 187 families in the troubled Greater Copenhagen neighbourhood of Tingbjerg currently costs the Danish tax payer 82.6 million kroner a year – so an average of 443,000 kroner each. One of the families is the recipient of 20 different benefits, claims the report.

Medicines agency issues warning
The medicines agency, Lægemiddelstyrelsen, has issued a warning regarding Xeplion, a drug used to treat patients with schizophrenia, which has since December been sold in counterfeit 150 mg packets, reports Berlingske. Nevertheless, the agency estimates the risk is low to patients. The production of counterfeit medicine is an increasing problem worldwide.