Swedish police face rising violence and staffing shortages

A recent survey by the Swedish Police Union (Polisförbundet) reveals that eight out of ten officers involved in intervention activities have been subjected to threats and violence during a twelve-month period. Katharina von Sydow, chairperson of the union, stated that the increasing aggression and coarseness in society are unacceptable and must not be normalized.

The report highlights significant safety concerns, with 45 percent of intervention officers believing there are rarely enough colleagues on duty to manage actual or potential violence. To improve safety, the union is calling for continuous training and an increase in both new and experienced officers.

Compounding these safety issues are staffing challenges within detention facilities. Due to budget constraints and difficulties in hiring dedicated detention staff or private security, police officers are frequently being reassigned to work in lockups. Patrik Forsemalm of Noa noted that these reassignments are often involuntary, which can degrade the working environment for both staff and detainees, while simultaneously reducing the number of officers available for active street duty.