The number of residential burglaries has more than halved since 2016.
A growing cooperation between neighbors and thieves who instead engage in fraud are believed to be some of the reasons.
– Several factors have reduced opportunities for crime and make this crime less attractive to thieves, says Damir Celebic, crime prevention analyst at the Police.
The number of residential burglaries continues to decrease in Sweden. This is shown by statistics from the Crime Prevention Council, Brå. In 2022, 10,975 burglaries were reported, which is a halving since 2017, when 22,551 burglaries were reported.
According to the police, the reduction is due to a number of factors. For example, many thieves have turned to online fraud. At the same time, society has become more cashless and that electronics are not as prone to theft as before.
Pandemic effect
During the pandemic, there was a substantial reduction in burglaries. At the time, it was thought that it was because more and more people were working from home and that foreign theft gangs were not operating to the same extent. The trend seems to be continuing and the police believe they have an explanation for it.
– The thieves who found other crime to feed on during the pandemic, do not feel as great a need to return to the old one, as long as the current one works, says Damir Celebic, crime prevention analyst at the Police.
Neighborly cooperation important
An additional factor is believed to be that neighborly cooperation has grown throughout the country. Bengt-Olof Larsson and Göran Erikson belong to Grannstöd Bromma and spend several hours a week preventing crime but also inspiring the residents to be more attentive.
– Our task is to be seen, observe and report but not intervene, says Göran Erikson.
The police have actively worked to spread Neighborhood Cooperation throughout the country and they describe it as an important part of the crime prevention work.
– The neighbors are helped to increase the collective ability and security in a residential area. They are trained to detect deviations and raise safety awareness.