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‘Exceptional’ problems in Sweden’s vulnerable suburbs: report

A new report suggests that two fifths of residents in Sweden's vulnerable areas feel unsafe when they are outdoors at night.

Published: 15 March 2018 17:23 CET
'Exceptional' problems in Sweden's vulnerable suburbs: report
Rinkeby in Stockholm. Photo: Janerik Henriksson/TT

The “Relationship with the judiciary in socially vulnerable areas” report by Sweden's National Council on Crime Prevention (Brå) used interviews with residents, police, business owners and public sector employees to assess the situation in the areas described by authorities as vulnerable.

One in three residents of the 61 areas say they feel there are significant problems with open drug dealing, as well as shootings. Many say certain individuals or groups prevent them from moving freely.

“The research shows problems in these areas that are likely to be exceptional in comparison to other residential areas. Open drug dealing occurs, while property damage, littering and serious traffic crimes impact the living environment. Some of the areas suffer serious violent crime for periods,” the report explains.

“Many residents feel insecure around groups of young men who spend a lot of time outside in the areas. Even if it's only a small proportion of them who are threatening or commit crimes, it's often difficult for the residents to distinguish which situations and people to be wary of,” Brå's Erik Nilsson told The Local.

“The interviews show that the difference between times of the day and even between areas is significant.”

READ ALSO: Vulnerable areas increase in Sweden

According to Brå's figures, 38 percent of residents in socially vulnerable areas say they feel unsafe while out at night (compared to around 27 percent in other urban areas).

Some of the problems in the areas are highly localized, so people who live on different parts of the same street may come across crime to completely different extents. For example some residents said they feel safe, but make significant adjustments to their daily lives in order for that to happen, such as avoiding specific places or people.

The safest people appear to be those who know the young men who spend their time outside at night, and by extension know which situations to avoid.

Women in particular are suffering, with the majority living in the areas (55.3 percent) saying that they feel unsafe. The male dominance of public spaces is one of the contributing factors, Brå's research suggests.

“It's a pattern that is also reflected across wider society. But much suggest that a contributing factor is that these areas are dominated by men when it comes to public spaces. Not least in the evenings, when few women and girls move around outdoors. That can of course be a result of insecurity, but it can also a contributing factor to it,” Nilsson said.

The report highlights signs of parallel societies in the areas, with law and order problems impacting confidence in the police among residents. Only half of those living in the areas say they have faith in the police, which is a lower proportion than in other urban areas.

It is particularly challenging for police to build and sustain confidence as views of them vary according to age groups: the elderly feel the police are too soft, while young men think they are treated unfairly.

READ ALSO: Working on the front line in Stockholm's vulnerable suburbs

Many people who live in the suburbs also say they feel they have been forgotten about or are not treated the same as those who live in other places.

“We think the judicial system needs to develop its methods, work with the long-term in mind, and learn from successful strategies in different parts of the country. What appear to be less serious problems like for example traffic crimes or property damage are easily overlooked because of more serious crime, but they have a significant impact on the way residents see the police capacity (to act), and by extension their willingness to turn and cooperate with the police,” Nilsson pointed out.

“Many residents express feeling of being forgotten by society at large, and want a greater presence from authorities – not just police – in the areas.”

READ ALSO: Sweden in focus, an in-depth look at what makes this place tick

 

RUSSIA AND SWEDEN

Swedish rail derailments could be linked to ‘Russian-backed sabotage’

European intelligence services are warning that Russia is plotting violent acts of sabotage in their countries in a concerted effort to destabilise the continent, including covert bombings, arson and attacks on infrastructure, the UK newspaper the Financial Times (FT) has claimed.

Published: 6 May 2024 14:12 CEST
Swedish rail derailments could be linked to 'Russian-backed sabotage'

The report comes just days after prosecutors arrested two German-Russian men on suspicion of spying for Russia and planning attacks in Germany to undermine military support for Ukraine. There have been similar alleged incidents in several other European countries.

FT also claims that security services in Sweden suspect that a series of recent railway derailments may be acts of state-backed sabotage. 

It doesn’t mention any specific incidents, but late last year, a fully-loaded freight train derailed on the Malmbanan near Vassijaure in northern Sweden, damaging around 15 kilometres of the line.

Repairs began quickly, but state-owned Swedish mining company LKAB, which uses the line to transport iron ore was greatly affected, with losses of around 100 million kronor per day while the line was closed and a 3.8 million drop in operating profits for the last quarter of 2024.

It reopened on February 20th, but just five days later it derailed again in Vassijaure, this time along a shorter stretch.

Fredrik Hultgren-Friberg, press spokesperson at the Swedish Security Services (Säpo), reiterated to Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet (SvD) what’s previously been said, that Säpo is collaborating with police on the Malmbanan investigation.

“Säpo has an ongoing, routine collaboration with the police force on a number of cases, primarily when it cannot be ruled out that a foreign power is involved. One of those collaborations is on the investigation around Malmbanan,” he said.

Hultgren-Friberg declined to comment on the FT’s reports that Russia is planning attacks on European infrastructure.

“What I can confirm is that Russia is the largest single threat to Sweden,” he told SvD. “We’ve said that for a while. What we can see is more aggressive, risky behaviour from Russia in their illegal actions and spying in Sweden.”

Swedish police and Säpo have previously confirmed that they are investigating the Malmbanan incidents as possible sabotage, which doesn’t automatically mean that they actively suspect sabotage, but is also a routine procedure to facilitate the probe.

Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson told Swedish news agency TT that the reports in FT did not come as a surprise to him.

“Russia is prepared to go further and carry out operations and sabotage on other countries’ territory,” he said.

But when asked whether such acts of sabotage had taken place in Sweden, he said that wasn’t the case.

“We haven’t seen any such signs for now, but we are on our toes. Other countries have seen things where they know or believe that there are such connections,” Kristersson said.

In late April, LKAB said it was so badly affected by the derailments that it may need to close temporarily as it’s not able to get stock to customers quickly enough, so its warehouses are nearing capacity.

“It’s a real worry,” LKAB’s CEO Jan Moström told TT. “If we can’t lower our stock then we’re going to have to start dialling down production capacity.” 

Moström believes that this could affect up to 600 people – half being LKAB employees and the other half being independent contractors.

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