Swedish Equality Ombudsman seeks expanded police oversight

The Swedish Equality Ombudsman (Diskrimineringsombudsmannen, DO) is seeking legislative changes to increase oversight of law enforcement. Currently, the agency lacks the authority to investigate reports of ethnic discrimination within police crime-fighting activities, such as ethnic profiling. This gap in oversight has become a point of contention following the expansion of police powers, including the ability to establish security zones where individuals can be checked without specific suspicion of a crime.

Civil Rights Defenders has welcomed the initiative, noting that increased police authority necessitates stronger independent scrutiny. DO chief Lars Arrhenius stated that current legislation limits the agency's ability to examine police conduct. The Swedish government, through Equality Minister Nina Larsson, has indicated that they recognize the importance of the issue and are working on a proposal to address these regulatory limitations.

In a separate matter, the DO has criticized Kungsbacka municipality for failing to fulfill its obligation to investigate and address homophobic harassment after a student was subjected to abuse over several years.