The police’s work with special events receives criticism in a new report from the National Audit Office. They believe that the police’s preventive work is suffering. Deputy head of the police area in Malmö, Erik Jansåker, is of a different opinion – and says that police officers are generally positive about being assigned to another location.
– Many go on a voluntary basis. It makes it easier when there is interest from our employees, he says.
More harm than good
On Tuesday, the National Audit Office released its new report. According to the National Audit Office, long-term special events risk doing more harm than good. The result indicates that the resource transfers that have to be made, from the various local police areas to Stockholm, have a negative impact.
The review shows that special events are most effective in the first hours or even days of a major operation. But the longer it lasts, they risk being counter-effective.
– The police need to use their resources more effectively. Special events that go on for a long time can eventually lead to parallel management systems and inefficient use of resources, says Auditor General Helena Lindberg, on the National Audit Office’s website.
The situation in Skåne
How many police officers are commissioned or have volunteered to go up to Stockholm, Erik Jansåker does not want to specify. But he points out that there are no major priorities away from the police’s work at home.
– It is strained, but in principle we have not had to prioritize anything. The small resource we have sent up has not affected our business, he says.