In the attacks in the Uppsala area, among other things, a relative of a network criminal was killed – and a young woman was the victim of a misplaced explosive device in a residential area.
The police have worked intensively to curb the violence.
– We have had several cases where we have stopped cars that are about to commit various acts. We have also worked proactively by appealing to the public to tell us what they know, says Jale Poljarevius, head of the police’s intelligence section in Region Mitt.
The work has paid off. For example, the police were able to seize 38 kilograms of explosives and a gun at a youth residence in Västerås on 5 October. One of the suspects in that case was also arrested on suspicion of a shooting in Uppsala. The explosive was marked and from the same origin as the large seizure of over 200 kilos that was found in Björklinge outside Uppsala.
– There have been a lot of weapons seizures.
End of seasoned performers
What stands out is that the police see a new type of perpetrator, says Jale Poljarevius. Women and children aged 15 are among those deprived of their liberty.
– We also see symptoms of exhaustion, I would say, where we see young offenders who are not experienced and get caught. There is an end to these seasoned, talented, performers. They’re already locked in, or if they’ve dismounted and don’t want to.
– The prisons are full.
The fact that the “experienced” perpetrators have been deprived of their liberty may also be a reason why the wave of violence has subsided, says Jale Poljarevius, but he does not want to comment on the situation in the infected conflict within the Foxtrot network which is supposed to be the triggering factor.
Would like to see more preventive work
In several areas, Poljarevius thinks that the police have succeeded. Seizure of weapons and explosives, finding people about to commit crimes and the public sending in more tips.
– The whole society is waking up.
But he wants to pick up the pace in two areas; new recruitment and dropouts.
– Regarding stopping new recruitment, things are happening. There are interesting initiatives from the Police Authority and others involved.
– And then I would like us to take an even higher level of defection, where those who are already in gangs are urged to “drop out of this, because you yourself know how you feel and where this leads, and you see how your own comrades die,” says Poljarevius.
But he says that it is up to the rest of society to find alternatives for defectors.
– What are we going to do to get them to a life other than this? Is it education, or a job?
Cautiously positive – have seen setbacks before
Although the violence has subsided, Poljarevius does not dare to say that it will continue.
– It is very fragile. We are cautiously positive and of course very happy that no one has been injured or killed recently. These are small, small steps in the right direction. But we mustn’t jump to conclusions because last time when we thought we had seen some success we saw how quickly things changed.