The government is continuing to allocate funds to the judiciary in its upcoming budget proposal.
It is absolutely central for us to continue the extensive investments in the judiciary to increase security for all honest citizens, says Minister of Justice Gunnar Strömmer (The Moderate Party).
Among other things, the police are proposed to receive 1.38 billion kronor, the prison service 888 million, the courts 289 million, and the Security Service 95 million kronor in new allocations for 2025.
Funds are also being allocated in the current budget for 2024. The police will receive 400 million, the courts 300 million, and the prison service 275 million this year.
The Police Force is to Grow
The funds will ensure that the number of police officers continues to grow, that the Security Service can handle foreign threats, that the prison service's expansion can continue, and that the courts can handle the increased number of cases.
To make it more attractive to become a police officer, the government intends to submit a proposal that means those who study at the police academy from autumn 2024 or later, under certain conditions and terms, will have their student loans repaid or written off.
The Sweden Democrats went to the election on the promise that Sweden would return to a paid police education.
This is a step in that direction, says SD leader Jimmie Åkesson.
He hopes that the investment will lead to people in mid-life also daring to change careers and become police officers.
Strömmer states that they will return to exactly how the proposal for repaid or written-off student loans will be formulated.
When asked if personnel in other shortage professions will also be able to have their loans written off, he responds:
You can't see it as a principle, it's just about police officers now.
Strömmer emphasizes that other security professions have paid educations, such as officers and in the Coast Guard.
We think it's reasonable that the police can also assert themselves in competition in a different way than today.
New Police Goal
The government estimates that the judiciary's budget will grow from 69 billion in 2023 to 100 billion in 2027.
One of the government's goals is for the police growth to lead to a police density in relation to the population that matches the EU average.
The growth should primarily take place locally and with more visible police officers, says SD leader Jimmie Åkesson.
How many police officers the new goal entails is not yet clear, nor is when the goal is to be achieved.
Police: 1,385 million kronor (mkr)
Prison service: 888 mkr
Courts: 289 mkr
Security Service: 95 mkr
Forensic Medicine Agency: 24 mkr
Prosecution Authority: 10 mkr
Legal aid: 635 mkr
Crime Victim Authority: 4 mkr
Economic Crime Authority: 13 mkr
Crime Prevention Council: 1 mkr
Grants for crime prevention work: 17 mkr
EU funds: 95 mkr
Total: 3,456 mkr
In total, the judiciary's budget will increase from 78.7 billion this year to 86.7 billion in 2025 (including previously announced allocation increases).
Source: Ministry of Justice
