Swedish Police launches unique initiative against gang-related violence

Swedish police have launched a unique national initiative to deal with the rise in violence, focusing on gang-related shootings and explosions after two new blasts rocked Stockholm on Monday.

In September alone, 11 people were killed in shootings, making it the deadliest month for gun violence in Sweden in almost four years.

In this context, the Swedish police launched a special national initiative, Swedish broadcaster SVT Nyheter reported on Monday.

“The aim is to achieve better coordination in the event of explosions and shootings,” Per Engström, police chief of the National Operations Department, told the press.

Due to the large number of violent incidents, mainly concentrated in the Stockholm and Uppsala areas, the police have already launched a special initiative at the regional level.

The National Operations Department has now transferred this work to a new national special operation against gang-related shootings and explosions.

“We are currently working on organising ourselves in this new context,” said Engström.

According to Engström, the work involves allocating resources, coordinating police work and cooperating with other authorities, including the Swedish Armed Forces.

“As of a few days ago, we have changed the form of management to a national special operation, which is a way for the Police Board to organise our work and means that we can streamline management and focus and redistribute the police’s capabilities to what and where they are most needed”, the police’s media centre declared to the press.

This new and tougher approach comes after Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said on 28 September that the Swedish Armed Forces must help the police in their work against criminal gangs.

“Sweden has never seen anything like this. No other country in Europe has seen anything like this,” Kristersson said in a speech to the nation.

He further blamed the current situation on “irresponsible immigration policies and failed integration”, which was one of his party’s main election talking points when it was in opposition last year.

(Charles Szumski | Euractiv.com)