One early morning in May, boat owner Claes Andersson rang in Helsingborg. It was one of his boat neighbors who wondered if he had someone living on his boat. It turned out that an unauthorized person had spent the night in the boat.
– They detained him, then I came down and confronted the man. Meanwhile, they called the police.
The police quickly arrived at the scene, arrested the man and Claes filed a report of illegal trespassing
– He didn’t spoil anything, but he had done his needs here and there. It feels uncomfortable, says Claes Andersson.
A couple of hours later, the police called.
– I received a message that the case was closed. It depends on the penalty discount. If you have done enough, you get a restriction.
57,000 cases last year
The police’s use of so-called preliminary investigation restrictions has increased – from around 7,500 cases in 2014 to over 57,000 cases last year, cold facts mapping shows.
The system can be used when a person is suspected of several crimes, in order to save investigative resources. But for the crime victim, it can be difficult to accept:
– I, who take care of myself, think it is wrong to have a discount. Then I understand that it costs a lot to sort out all the petty crimes. But it feels wrong when you are affected. And it’s us ordinary people who find it the hardest, says Claes Andersson.