National Police Chief Anders Thornberg has firmly denied that he knew that Mats Löfving was suicidal before he killed himself in February.
But several people within the police say that the information reached the chief of the national police’s closest circle, and sources testify that Mats Löfving was stripped of his weapon due to mental illness – information that is said to have also reached the chief of the national police.
On February 22, the police’s internal investigation into the tangle surrounding Mats Löfving was presented. The conclusion from the investigator was that national police chief Anders Thornberg should consider removing regional police chief Mats Löfving from his post. Later that evening, Mats Löfving was found dead in his home.
The press conference held by the police has been severely criticized and the Swedish Work Environment Authority came out on Monday with information that shows that the police failed at several points in the work environment work.
Among other things, the police should not have assessed the risks in the work environment at all when handling the situation with Mats Löfving. In addition, there is a lack of crisis preparedness and crisis support, the Work Environment Agency believes.
– When we inspect, we do it based on the police as employer. This is where we can see that there are deficiencies at the system level. They have not taken the measures one would expect, says unit manager Ulrika Scholander.
Denies that he knew
Recently, it emerged that safety representatives alerted the Swedish Work Environment Authority that national police chief Anders Thornberg must have known that Mats Löfving was suicidal before the press conference in February.
According to the protection organization, Anders Thornberg should have been informed about Mats Löfving’s suicidal tendencies one to one and a half weeks before the press conference on February 22. The union Police Union is also said to have brought forward its concerns three weeks before the press conference.
But Anders Thornberg has denied that he knew about it.
– No, it has of course been shown afterwards. I have worked very hard together with the authority in this difficult situation and know myself what I have done. I have had many conversations. Whether from Mats Löfving himself or from someone else, it has been stated that he was suicidal, Anders Thornberg told Aftonbladet last week.
Aftonbladet has spoken to several leading people within the organization of the police authority. Testimony that contradicts the picture Anders Thornberg has given.
Became worried
Kjell Ahlin is chairman of the Police Association in the Stockholm region. He had personal talks with Mats Löfving in the weeks before Mats Löfving took his own life after the press conference in February. According to Kjell Ahlin, Mats Löfving expressed himself in a way that made it clear that he was considering taking his own life.
– He expressed himself in such a way that it was understood, says Kjell Ahlin.
– I felt bad when he sat and flagged that this will go badly.
The conversation made Kjell Ahlin worried about Mats Löfving and he passed the information on up in the organization. He has never spoken to Anders Thornberg himself about Mats Löfving’s condition, but the information reached people in the police leadership.
Kjell Ahlin sees it as unlikely that the national police chief should not have been aware that Mats Löfving was mentally unwell.
– The management must also look each other in the eye and think about what they could have done differently, says Kjell Ahlin.
Burdened with guilt
Kjell Ahlin says that he himself had a bad conscience after Mats Löfving died in February this year. He is weighed down by feelings of guilt for what happened.
– You feel a little guilty about this. Could I have done anything more? But I have come to the conclusion that this is probably not the case.
– We will never get Mats back, but we have to learn from this. The culture of silence that has crept into the police, the loyalty, it has gone awry.
In the police’s internal work environment report on Mats Löfving’s death, the authority writes that Mats Löfving handed in his service weapon before the press conference.
But sources within the police claim that the information about Mats Löfving handing over the weapon is not true. A central source in the organization says that high-ranking colleagues of Mats Löfving made sure that he did not have access to his weapon due to Mats Löfving’s poor mental state.
– It was a precautionary measure, says the source.
Several independent sources question why Mats Löfving would be stripped of his weapon if it was not about mental illness. The sources do not want to be named for fear of reprisals.
Claims confidentiality
Aftonbladet has requested the decision on the service weapon and asked the police management about this. But the Police Authority considers that the decision is covered by confidentiality and does not disclose it. The police’s press service stands by the description found in the work environment report: That Mats Löfving gave up the weapon.
In the Work Environment Agency’s investigation, the authority has not taken a position on the information about the national police chief’s possible knowledge that Mats Löfving was suicidal. Instead, an overall assessment has been made, which thus shows that there are shortcomings in the police’s work environment work around Mats Löfving’s death.
Anne Asp, commissioner, police since 40 years ago and personal friend of Mats Löfving, is openly critical of how Anders Thornberg handled the events.
– Anders Thornberg must have been both blind and deaf at the time of this if he didn’t notice how bad Mats felt, she tells Aftonbladet.
So is Anders Thornberg lying when he says that he did not know that Mats Löfving was suicidal?
– Yes, I don’t think he is being truthful.
“Not a real friend”
Anne Asp is strongly critical of Anders Thornberg’s own press conference that followed the presentation of the internal investigation, instead of focusing on taking care of Mats Löfving – who was still alive at the time.
– It is completely incomprehensible, says Anne Asp.
– Calling himself Mat’s friend, but still not caring about him. Then you are not a real friend.
Aftonbladet has contacted Anders Thornberg for a comment. The police’s press service returns with a written answer where the national police chief continues to deny knowledge of Mats Löfving’s suicidal tendencies.
“The claim that Anders Thornberg knew that Mats Löfving was suicidal is not true,” writes the police press service in an email to Aftonbladet.