There are around sixty “open drug scenes” in Stockholm, according to a survey. Some have disappeared, some have been added, but the number is almost constant. Many cases of violence and fatal shootings occur around the locations, and there are no easy solutions, says researcher and police officer Mia-Maria Magnusson.
Open drug scenes are something that the Police Authority is well aware of. There are 63 open drug scenes in Stockholm in 2023, where drugs are traded more or less openly, and which are seen as problematic by authorities and residents in the area.
In Stockholm, Huddinge has been a badly affected municipality – but where several so-called drug scenes have disappeared. However, Vällingby and Södertälje have had several new open drug scenes.
Hard to shut down
Many have existed for years, but it is not entirely easy to shut them down, says Mia-Maria Magnusson, who worked as a drug detective but later obtained a doctorate. “Plattan” in Stockholm city is such a place.
– There is often a very strategic part in this, that the place fulfills a function. Where can you hide, where can you make sure that the purchase is not visible, where can you make sure that people come and shop. There are many reasons why these places are open drug scenes, and they are reasons that are not quickly changing, says Magnusson, and continues:
– The largest proportion of them have been around for ten years or longer.
High incidence of violence and gun violence
The statistics show that the open drug scenes have a high incidence of violence, and fatal gun violence.
– In some of these places we have the presence of gangs, and then the gang violence also happens there, says Mia-Maria Magnusson.
The fact that the places are changed to some extent can be that the gangs move, that people end up in prison or that the district is rebuilt.
It is Region Stockholm, the municipalities, the Police Agency, the Correctional Service, the Swedish Customs Service and the County Administrative Board in Stockholm that jointly work against the open handling of drugs and have done the mapping.
Open drug scenes that have been added in Stockholm
Nordkapsgatan Husby (Järva)
Sibeliusgången/Borgågatan (Järva)
Grusåsen (Södertälje)
Västergård (Södertälje)
Västra Blombacka (Södertälje)
Blackebergs C (Bromma)
Vidängsvägen Alvik (Bromma)
Malteholmstorget (Hässelby-Vällingby)
Råcksta torg-Ådalsparken-Tunnelbanan (Hässelby-Vällingby)
Source: Collaborative Stockholm region
Open drug scenes that disappeared in Stockholm
Västerhaninge (Haninge)
Backluravägen, Nynäshamn (Nynäshamn)
Huddinge C (Huddinge)
Stuvsta C (Huddinge)
Trångsund (Huddinge)
Jakobsbergs C (Järfälla)
Wheel base C (Järva)
Husby C (Järva)
Risingeplan (Järva)
Odenplan/observatory grove (Norrmalm)
Edsbergs C (Sollentuna)
Valsta (Sigtuna)
Source: Collaborative Stockholm region
The entire mapping of the open drug scenes is available here.