Other police regions are grappling with staffing problems this summer as their officers are sent to Stockholm to help break the wave of violence, according to several local police unions.
– There is a risk that we just move the problems to different parts of the country, says Marie Krysander, vice president of the Police Union North.
Since the turn of the year, shootings and explosions have followed each other in Stockholm.
In January, the police’s national operational department (Noa) therefore decided to launch a so-called special event in the region to deal with the escalating wave of violence.
Since then, hundreds of police employees from all over the country have been ordered to the capital to help with the work, making it more difficult for other police regions to get staffing together.
Crime prevention work suffering
The situation is particularly strained now during the summer, when the workload increases at the same time as vacations must be taken.
– In addition, we are already understaffed as it is, says Anna Nellberg Dennis, ombudsman at the Police Association and continues:
– You take from poor police regions and give to an even poorer one.
Anna Nellberg Dennis believes that it is above all the crime prevention work that has to be held back when the resources are not enough.
– But also investigations of a less serious nature, which means longer processing times, she says.
“Can be tougher this summer”
Around the country there are several summer towns with a large influx of tourists, both from Sweden and other countries, which means a higher workload for the police.
In addition, concerts and other summer events require extra resources.
– There will be fewer police officers left at home to solve the tasks that need to be done there. It will simply be more strained in terms of resources, says Gunnar Norgren, chairman of the Police Association South.
Region South includes, among other things, Kalmar county with the coast of Småland and Öland, one of the country’s most tourist-dense regions during the summers, highlights Gunnar Norgren.
– There will be more to do, which means that during holidays it can be tough to handle all the work, even without the command. This summer may well be tougher than a normal summer, he says and continues:
– It is manageable, but we have to work more.
Relief granted
In the North police region, the assignment to Stockholm created particularly big problems in the spring because the security company the region procured to man the prisons in northern Sweden lacks staff.
This resulted in police officers having to call in overtime to ensure staffing.
In order to alleviate the personnel shortage during the summer, the region requested relief from the commanding requirement, which was also granted.
Instead of sending eight intervention police officers and investigators to Stockholm, the region now only assists with investigators, says Marie Krysander, vice president of the Police Association North.
– We don’t have an abundance of police officers, so contributing eight police officers per week affected the business, she says.
Marie Krysander believes that the appointment is both good and bad.
– It is important to have resources in Stockholm and it is positive that you can send staff there. At the same time, we face challenges up here, and while the situation is not urgent right now, it could be if we don’t have enough staff. There is a risk that we just move the problems to different parts of the country, she says.
FACT Special event
A special incident means a sudden, unforeseen or planned event for which ordinary police operations are not adapted. It could be that an extra number of police officers or special skills are needed. The incident must therefore be handled outside of ordinary police operations with a special organization and management.
The wave of violence in the Stockholm area has led to the police launching a so-called special event. This means that the police in Stockholm are reinforced with resources from other parts of the country.
The response to the wave of violence meant an immediate reinforcement with 190 police officers from different parts of the country. Later, the Stockholm police announced that it was being reinforced with another hundred police officers.
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