The recent wave of violence and gang crime is extremely self-inflicted, according to Magnus Lindgren in a debate article in Dagens Nyheter.
"Unfortunately, there is a tendency to avoid complexity in the criminal policy that has been pursued, regardless of the government," he writes.
Today's legislation is outdated and Swedish criminal policy is characterized by the ideals of the 1970s. The fact that a number of tools for the police and prosecutors have been developed in recent years does not help, since "the factory where the new tools are to be used is outdated and has an outdated organization," writes Lindgren.
According to Lindgren, three areas need to be developed to get Sweden back on track. Firstly, the government must lead and govern crime prevention better, he believes.
Secondly, he wants to establish a municipal police, which can build trust and legitimacy in local communities. This idea includes setting up a gendarmerie, an organization that exists in many countries. This normally means a militarily organized police force to maintain law and order. It would strengthen intervention efforts and be able to be deployed during riots and larger events.
As a third point, Lindgren calls for the development of municipalities' security organizations. Crime prevention work needs to be done more professionally, as well as support for victims.
