The new thing is that criminal groups operating in Denmark are recruiting perpetrators in Sweden. It's naturally serious and here we have a strong common interest from the Danish and Swedish sides to stop that development, he says.
In Sweden, the authorities have previously been urged to intensify border control.
Today, Denmark's Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard (S) announced that border control against Sweden will be tightened due to the recent wave of violence where five Swedes are suspected of involvement in attempted murder and an explosion.
I think it's natural that measures are taken on the Danish side to prevent and hinder this recruitment and increase the risk of detection, says Gunnar Strömmer.
Close Police Cooperation
The cooperation between Swedish and Danish police has been close, he describes, and by Danish police now also having police officers permanently stationed in Sweden and vice versa, this will be further strengthened.
Even at the ministerial level, the contact is close – the two justice ministers make regular phone calls.
We need to continuously consider what measures can be justified, either within respective countries or jointly, says Gunnar Strömmer.
But how will the development with increasingly young Swedes being recruited to serious crime be broken?
Here, Strömmer points to an upcoming shift in policy when it comes to young offenders. Youth prisons will be established and the sentencing system will be reformed, so that young people will be sentenced to prison instead of youth care.
"Offensive Measures"
It's also about preventing crime, he emphasizes:
This summer, we presented a new social services law, which is an enormous reform precisely when it comes to opportunities for working preventively with offensive preventive measures at a much earlier stage than before.
How do you think it affects Sweden's reputation in neighboring countries that young Swedes are being recruited to crime in other countries in this way?
I'm not primarily focused on potential rumors or image, but on addressing the serious social problems that this represents.
