Updated 08.11 | Published 08.03
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The police’s list of vulnerable areas in Sweden is decreasing. Four new areas have been added, while six areas are no longer considered vulnerable.
There are now 59 so-called vulnerable areas in Sweden, according to the updated situation picture that the police are now reporting to the Ministry of Justice.
The four new areas are within the Stockholm and East police region. Of the six areas that are removed from the list, four belong to Stockholm, while one belongs to the East and one to the South.
The clearest trend is that there seems to be a stagnation, the police write in a press release:
“The number of areas that are assessed as vulnerable has remained stable over the years. Compared to 2022, two-thirds of the assessed areas have developed in a negative or unchanged direction, while the remaining areas have a positive development,” the police write.
“It shows that the criminals’ influence is being cemented and is becoming increasingly permanent,” says Charlotta Höglund, head of the intelligence unit at the national operational department, Noa, in the press release.
The police’s first list of vulnerable areas was published in 2015, as a way to facilitate the distribution of resources in the country. According to the police, the situation increases “the conditions for creating safety and security for the public”.
The areas on the list have a total population of around 550,000 people. This corresponds to approximately 5 percent of Sweden’s population, but according to the police, a large part of the problems surrounding the serious violent confrontations have their basis in the areas.
For example, it is eight times as common that deadly violence occurs within conflicts in the criminal environment in these areas compared to other parts, related to the size of the population, according to a previous study from the Crime Prevention Council.
FACT Vulnerable areas
The police divide Sweden’s vulnerable areas into three categories.
Vulnerable area: Characterized by low socio-economic status where the criminals have an impact on the local community. Can be threats and blackmail, but also violence in the streets and squares and open drug dealing. The situation is considered serious.
Risk area: Is a vulnerable area, but does not quite reach the definition of being particularly vulnerable. The situation is considered alarming.
Particularly vulnerable area: Here it is “difficult or almost impossible” for the police to fulfill their mission. Systematic threats and acts of violence against witnesses and plaintiffs in the area. Also parallel social structures, extremism and high concentration of criminals. The situation is considered urgent.
Source: The police
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