181 body searches, 25 searched cars, 7 arrests, and one seized weapon. This was the concrete result of the security zone in Södertälje, which has been in effect for two weeks, reports TV4 News.
The security zone was in effect from Saturday, July 6, to Friday, July 19, and has meant a higher police presence in the area. The police describe that they have achieved the goal of increasing safety and making it more difficult for criminals to prepare and commit violent crimes.
It was after a man died as a result of a shooting in the Blombacka area in Södertälje on July 2 that the police decided to introduce a security zone in Västra Blombacka and Geneta.
In June, a security zone was introduced in Norrköping in the Hageby district. Then, 368 searches and 41 car searches were conducted. The security zone was the first of its kind in Sweden.
To be able to counteract shootings and explosions in conflicts, the police authority can introduce security zones where the police have special powers to search for weapons and other dangerous objects.
Within a security zone, the police can body search individuals and search vehicles.
All interventions must be documented in protocols.
A decision on a security zone shall apply for a maximum of two weeks at a time, where the police authority shall publish the decision on its website and inform about it in other ways. The decision can be appealed to court.
A security zone is also called a visitation zone.
Source: The Government
