Criticism that more criminals are not arrested and convicted is increasing against the police leadership and against National Police Chief Anders Thornberg.
But Anders Thornberg emphasizes that the crime trend in Sweden is exceptional at the same time that there are several factors that make the police’s work more difficult. On the one hand, there is a large deficit of police officers in Sweden, even though the workforce is growing, according to Thornberg.
– We have an exceptional development in Sweden right now, at the same time we have one of the lowest police density in Europe, he says.
– As we grow, we will get better at distributing resources across the country.
Powerful resources
In 2023, the police will receive SEK 37 billion in grants, which is an increase of roughly SEK 16 billion since 2015. Despite this, Thornberg believes that the police have been underfunded for a long time.
– These are neglects that go back a long way, that we have not received enough resources for the Swedish police, he says.
But is there anything you should do differently?
– When we work as we do in Stockholm now, when we have so many resources and can gather strength, and use the entire resource within a Swedish police force.
– We can move a certain number of police officers to Stockholm, then we can work in a completely different way, be more offensive, he says.
Teenagers with loaded guns
According to Anders Thornberg, the police are arresting more criminals than ever and that the prisons are full.
– We arrest 13 and 14-year-olds with loaded weapons. If we can’t take them for murder, we’ll take them for other things. We have a good intelligence operation and are in control of the situation, says Anders Thornberg