The Swedish security situation has deteriorated, according to the Security Police. Actions such as the Koran burnings, together with previous disinformation campaigns about Sweden, means that the threat has increased.
The police’s press spokesman confirmed to TV4 Nyheterna on Friday evening that a national special event had begun.
Later, the police announced that only the national operational diversion, Noa, initiated a special incident.
– We will gather people in different positions to work concentratedly on this. When there is a special event of various kinds, depending on the nature of that issue, authorities, in this case we put together a staff to work concentrated and specifically on that issue, says police press secretary Mark Vadasz.
Should you be worried?
– We must not let this affect our daily life. But, we must also be more observant of what differs from ordinary everyday life. If you see something that is different, you must report it to the police. It is better to report once too much than once too little.
The police’s website describes a “national special event” as “a sudden, unforeseen or planned event for which ordinary police operations are not adapted, and which must therefore be handled outside this with a special organization and management. It could be that extra police officers or special skills are needed.”
– It is an internal organizational way of working, when you judge that it is needed. It is that you work focused on a specific issue, which in this case is the deteriorating security situation in Sweden. It is about the changed world situation.
15 authorities are strengthened
On Thursday, the government tasked 15 authorities with strengthening Sweden’s ability to prevent terrorism.
This was announced by the Minister of Justice, Gunnar Strömmer, during a press conference on the security situation in Sweden.
– The aim is to improve coordination at the national level and streamline work before, during and after a terrorist attack, he says.
The official terror threat level against Sweden is still at level three out of five, which means an “increased threat”.
Fact: Terrorist threat levels
It is the National Center for Terror Threat Assessment (NCT) that assesses the terrorist threat level in Sweden. It is a permanent working group with personnel from the Defense Radio Agency (FRA), the Military Intelligence and Security Service (Must) and the Security Police (Säpo).
Since 2016, the terrorist threat level has been at level 3.
Source: Security Police