Rockets fired at people, houses and cars – firework alerts have poured in across the country.
In Gothenburg, young people play cat and mouse with the police.
– They hide when we get there, and come out when we leave. There are more serious events that we need to spend time and resources on, Caroline Karlsson, press spokesperson in region West.
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Police patrols around Sweden have responded to hundreds of alarms about fireworks and firecrackers this week.
The closer we get to New Year’s Eve, the worse it gets.
In the evening and night of Saturday, the police in Västra Götaland received over 40 alarms – in just five hours.
– It is very unnecessary and there is a risk of serious consequences. The general public raises the alarm and is concerned and irritated, pointing out that there are many children who shoot and that it is obvious that adults are likely to buy rockets for them, which is absolutely not okay, says Caroline Karlsson, press spokesperson in region West.
Cat and mouse game with the police
Many of the alarms concern children and young people.
– Among other things, there are youth gangs that fire rockets and set off firecrackers. When the police get there, they stay away, and when the patrol leaves, they come out again and continue to bang, Caroline Karlsson, press spokesperson for region West.
In Frölunda, the police found a 12-year-old wearing fireworks and the piece was seized and confiscated.
– We also had an alarm about some girls banging in a courtyard, under a bench. In Gamlestaden, there was a group of young people who kept going all day on a soccer field, says Caroline Karlsson, press spokesperson in the West region.
The cat and mouse game also means that the police are forced to spend a lot of resources on recurring alarms.
– They hide when we get there, and come out when we leave. There are more serious events that we need to spend time and resources on. We urge adults not to buy fireworks for children and that laws and regulations must be adhered to, says Caroline Karlsson, press spokesperson in region West.
That’s what the law says
For a couple of years now, there have been laws and local regulations in municipalities about how and when fireworks can be set off. Only adults may purchase the pieces.
– There is legislation that regulates the age for who can buy and handle rockets, says Angelica Forsberg, press spokesperson at the police region East.
In Motala, three people were injured on Friday evening and the police believe they were fired upon by a group of young people.
– In that case, we have young people who handled rockets and it was investigated as serious assault, you can also be convicted if you buy out children and in this particular situation it could have been even worse, says Angelica Forsberg.
The police say they are trying to prevent children from using rockets and firecrackers.
– If we come across young people with fireworks, then we take them and confiscate them, says Angelica Forsberg.
Thrown rocket into gate
During the night of Saturday, the police were alerted to Brunnsbo in Gothenburg. Youths had fired rockets at people, houses and cars.
– A rocket was also thrown into a gate. It’s just lucky that no one was injured or that a fire started. But of course it’s very unpleasant because residents don’t know what it is that’s banging, says Caroline Karlsson, press spokesperson in region West.
During the week, several stores have also been hit by thefts. On the night of Saturday, the Fyndalager in Tranemo was exposed, where fireworks worth thousands of kroner were stolen.
Earlier this week, an entire container of fireworks was stolen in Älmhult.
– Sometime between December 25 and 27, someone or someone cut open a gate and then a container that contained fireworks. The value of the property is estimated at just over SEK 200,000, says Evelina Olsson, police spokesperson in the South region.
Fireworks alarm region by region FACTS Police region East
On Friday evening, several young people in Motala were attacked by unknown people with fireworks. Two 17-year-old girls and a 15-year-old boy suffered both hearing and eye damage and were taken to hospital for treatment. The incident is being investigated by the police as aggravated assault and there are currently no suspects.
– There has been a lot of alarm. We are close to the new year and what we are ruling on is that we have a number of conversations about rockets that are aimed at homes and people, says Angelica Forsberg, press spokesperson for the police in the East region.
In Trosa, there was an alarm about young people shooting rockets from their cars, and in both Eskilstuna and Jönköping, the police were alerted about fireworks going off at homes. A group of younger men also fired rockets at a gas station.
– We have a number of reports around the region about people shooting at homes, at cars and at a restaurant, it gets messy, says Angelica Forsberg.
Read moreFACTSPolice Region North
In both Umeå and central Luleå, the police have responded to calls in recent days about an unknown number of people shooting rockets from moving cars. The police have also received calls from the public about firecrackers and rockets that are perceived as disturbing.
On the night of Thursday, both police and emergency services were called to an apartment building in Skellefteå because someone had set off fireworks in a stairwell.
Read moreFACTS Police region Mitt
The police were alerted to Enköping last night after young people fired rockets outdoors in a densely built-up area.
– There were two minors and we seized fireworks and drew up a report of suspected violation of the Public Order Act, says Mathias Rutegård, press spokesperson in police region Mitt.
During the week, the region has been relatively spared from alarms about fireworks.
– We have not noticed any chaos around this. But there is still a day left until New Year’s Eve and we know that it is often from now on that things get worst. We stand by, he says.
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FACTS Police region Bergslagen
– I feel that it has actually become less over the years, says Mats Öhman, the police’s press officer. In recent days, individual cases have reached the police regarding firecrackers and rockets.
– It has been thrown from cars, among other things, and then it is a matter of it happening in smaller towns in the region. Generally, it is young people who do this, with some exceptions, says Öhman.
During New Year’s Eve, the Bergslagen region will have reinforced resources.
– There are a lot of people out, but that’s an advantage. Then it won’t be the miscreants who determine the norm, says Öhman.
Read moreFACTSPolice region Stockholm/Gotland
In Stockholm and Gotland, the number of alarms about firecrackers and rockets has increased in the last week.
– On Gotland, there have been quite a few cases where balconies have been shot at and mailboxes blown up, says Rebecca Landberg, spokesperson for the Stockholm region.
On Drottninggatan in Stockholm, people have also been shot at with rockets.
– We notice an increase at New Year’s and that people under the age of 18 handle rockets, says Rebecca Landberg.
Read moreFACT Police Region West
In Västra Götaland, the police received over 40 alarms about fireworks and firecrackers in just five hours. Several of them were about young people who shot rockets in, among other places, the Backa area, Heden, Gamlestaden and Frölunda.
In addition, fireworks worth thousands of kroner were stolen from the Fyndalager in Tranemo.
In Halland there were eight alarms during the night and evening due to firecrackers and fireworks being set off.
Read moreFACTS Police Region South
In the last two days, 1,500 alarms have been received at the command center. Every tenth of these has touched firecrackers.
During Friday evening, the police were alerted after a person was fired upon with rockets in Malmö. Three people between the ages of 10 and 15 may be driven home to a guardian due to the incident.
A little later on Friday, a balcony started to burn in an apartment building in Växjö. Both adults and children were in the apartment, which was filled with smoke. The police suspect that the fire started when someone shot a rocket at the house. A report of aggravated arson has been drawn up.
Read moreFACTS To keep in mind when shooting rockets
Source: The police
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