Only one in five gang murders is solved and now the criticism is growing within the police who feel an increasing hopelessness in the face of the task of investigating murders linked to gang crime.
Among the 15 or so people that SvD has spoken to in connection with the review include investigators, preliminary investigation leaders and former managers in serious crimes. Together, they paint a coherent picture of the shortcomings in the investigation work – and it is not about the lack of resources.
– I do not agree that it is a lack of resources that is the cause. I think we are misorganized, says Johan van Rooji who previously led investigations against organized networks, to the newspaper.
Lack of knowledge
The criticism from within the police is, among other things, that the authority is in a situation where murder investigations must be adapted to what people in an investigation group can do, and not to what should be done.
Another of those interviewed in the review says that he was responsible for an entire investigation, as the group consisted of a civilian employee who could neither speak nor write in Swedish and a newly graduated police officer with six weeks’ experience.
– How could I solve a murder with these people? At best, they could have found a stray cat. I had to control everything in detail.
Reduced admission requirements
SVT has previously reported that the aptitude test that applicants for police training must do has become easier. In practice, this means that the requirements for becoming a police officer have been reduced further, this since 2016 when the requirements were last reduced.
Advocates mentorship
Gunnar Appelgren works to develop the police’s work regarding this type of crime. He understands the frustration that is now coming from the police and believes that the fastest way to get more skilled investigators is mentorship.
In this way, the police could work smarter and at the same time prioritize the types of crime and individuals who do the most damage, he says. At the same time, he points out that there will always be young people who are part of criminal gangs or networks.
– We will never be able to crush that. But we must make it more difficult so that they do not destroy society and that lethal violence is reduced, he says.