The authority’s explanation • “Daniel”: “I suspect that it affects many”
Over two months ago, Daniel suffered a basement break-in and lost 40,000 kroner worth of outdoor equipment. Shortly after, he saw the goods for sale on, among other things, the advertising site Blocket. He found out who the sellers were and found the premises where the stolen goods were hidden. But despite the police receiving all the information and promising to search the house, neither the police nor Blocket acted. The answer Daniel received was that the police did not have time to investigate the crime.
– I was irritated. Then I know that my neighbors have also had things stolen from them. And if the people are not caught, more people will be affected.
The police blamed a lack of resources
Daniel and his mother Karin live near the address where the stolen goods are found. After the police report, they have been in contact with the police several times.
– The person I spoke to said that now there is a good basis for conducting a search. But the police said that it is quite resource-intensive and I don’t know if we have the opportunity to do it today or now. They got my phone number where they would call me back. But after that conversation I heard nothing, says Karin, who spent much of her free time helping the police with mapping.
But according to her and her son, the work has so far not resulted in anything. Instead, they are forced to accept that the items will continue to be sold online.
Often passes the premises where stolen goods are hidden
Daniel often passes by the premises where his things are hidden.
– It’s just a thin house wall that you stand and look at but see that there is light inside and you know that things are happening. So it’s frustrating to walk by and be reminded every day that my stuff is there but I can’t do anything about it, he says.
– I fully understand that there is a lot of crime in society and that there is a gang war that takes a lot of resources. But I’m still disappointed that everyday crimes like this just go under the radar and aren’t prioritized. I suspect it affects so many people. It’s sad that the police can’t prioritize several things at the same time, says Daniel.
Police: A mistake
A new report from the crime prevention council, BRÅ, shows that four percent of residential burglaries in the country are solved and the worst solution is the police region of Stockholm – the region that Daniel and Karin belong to.
According to Jonas Hysing, head of the investigation unit at the Police in Stockholm, Daniel’s case sounds like “a mistake”.
– To me, it sounds like it’s a recovery center and there we have to search the house, seize the goods, arrest the perpetrators, prosecute them. It sounds like it to me anyway, he says to TV4 Nyheterna.
He believes that it may have been the case that they did not have the resources to send at that time because they were fully occupied with other crimes, which were more urgent or serious.
– But over time, it is clear that we will come and do that house search. If we don’t do that, it is of course something that erodes trust in the long run, not just for the police but for the justice system in general. So we need to make sure we manage better, says Jonas Hysing.
Daniel and Karin are actually called something else.