Criminal gangs are causing fear in Sweden. The government is considering comprehensive measures following a renewed escalation of deadly violence.
Sweden’s military is to be involved in the fight against deadly gang crime in the country. The conservative Prime Minister announced this Ulf Kristersson on Friday after a meeting with the military commander-in-chief Micael Bydén and the national police chief Anders Thornberg in Stockholm at. The government will decide on Thursday that the army can help the police fight criminal gangs within the framework of the law.
In a second step, the current legislation must be changed to give the police greater options when requesting help, said the head of government. Justice Minister Gunnar Strömmer added: “It is obvious that we must do everything we can to support the police in this important task.”
Sweden has been struggling for years with gang crime, which primarily revolves around market sovereignty in the lucrative drug business. Deadly shots and intentionally caused explosions occur again and again.
This month the violence escalated again, which is said to be related to a suspected conflict within the criminal Foxtrot network. The capital region around Stockholm and the nearby university town of Uppsala are particularly affected. Eleven people were shot dead in September, including bystanders. A young woman also died in an explosion on Thursday.
Minors are becoming increasingly common as perpetrators and victims. They would be armed and given instructions to carry out attacks, national police chief Anders Thornberg said at a press conference in Stockholm. Children even contacted the criminal networks themselves in order to be allowed to commit murder.
Unfortunately, there is little to suggest that the violence will stop soon, said Thornberg. Rather, it is believed that it is likely that there will be new incidents before the trend is reversed. These are “terror-like acts of violence”. Not just one border was crossed – but several.
In view of this devastating situation, the Swedish police would like relief. “The police cannot do all the work against crime alone,” said the Prime Minister. His government now wants to make it possible for the armed forces to provide personnel and equipment to the police. This could include, for example, expertise in explosives, helicopters, help with analyzes and forensic work.
The Prime Minister, who has been in power for almost a year, had already emphasized the seriousness of the situation in a speech to the nation on Thursday evening. He blamed years of political naivety for the situation. “An irresponsible immigration policy and failed integration have led us here.” Exclusion and parallel societies provide breeding ground for criminal gangs. “There they can ruthlessly recruit children and train future murderers,” said Kristersson.
The conservative further emphasized that Swedish legislation was not designed for “gang warfare and child soldiers”. His government is now changing this, both in migration and criminal policy. Juvenile prisons should be built to separate young offenders from adult criminals. Work is also being done to ensure that all children learn the Swedish language.
“We will hunt down the gangs, and we will defeat the gangs,” Kristersson said. “We will bring them to justice. If they are Swedish citizens, they will be imprisoned with very long prison sentences. If they are foreign citizens, they will also be deported.”