The National Audit Office's report on the Police Authority's handling of quantity crimes
Translated from Swedish by AI; the translation may contain errors. The Swedish text is the original.
Summary AI, written in advance
S considers that the justice chain has received large resources but that the background checks have deteriorated 1 and that the resources are insufficient for the local police areas 1. SD considers that the police are inefficient 2, that local police areas have not been staffed 2 and that direct write-offs occur despite existing evidence 2. SD argues that the authority does not handle quantity crimes effectively and advocates that shop owners should be allowed to decide who stays on their property. M argues that the police have grown more at the top than at the bottom 3 and that the government is addressing the Police Authority through analysis of resource management 3. C considers that direct write-offs are a failure 4. KD argues that the police have not succeeded in staffing local police areas 5 and that direct write-offs cannot be tolerated 5. L notes that investigations can be handled inefficiently 6 and that write-offs damage trust 6. MP notes that the results have not improved to the same extent as the appropriations.
Written by AI in advance and may contain errors. The numbers lead to the speech a statement builds on; check against the text below.
Petter Löberg (S)
Madam Speaker! This matter has approximately the same theme as the previous one. The National Audit Office has conducted a very ambitious and extensive review of the Swedish Police Authority's handling of what is sometimes somewhat carelessly referred to by us as volume crime, everyday crime, or the like. By this, crimes of a relatively simple nature are meant, where the preliminary investigation is generally handled and led by the Swedish Police Authority itself.
It may seem to be crime of a simple nature. But for those affected, the result can be lifelong suffering. It can involve deeply privacy-violating experiences that take many years to recover from, if ever. It can involve large economic values for businesses and private individuals. Even if it is a question of a petty crime or a crime of everyday life, it can have incredibly great significance for the individual.
The main criticism in the Swedish National Audit Office's report concerns the fact that the results regarding the clearance of personal information have deteriorated despite the large resource allocations. The Police Authority has received more employees, carried out a reorganization, and received the tools and instruments from politics that have been pointed out regarding crime tools, camera surveillance, resource allocation, etcetera. Still, we see a decreased and deteriorated clearance of personal information.
Fundamentally, this boils down to what are the citizens' legitimate expectations. It is about us demanding delivery. We in politics have prioritized the resources of the justice chain in relation to other utilities in society. We could have spent this money on necessary infrastructure investments that have been put on waiting lists. The money could have gone to child and adolescent psychiatry, where there is a failure. The money could have gone to improving continuity for our elderly within home care. But we have chosen to prioritize the different parts of the justice chain because we have seen that the societal challenges we have faced have made these priorities necessary. Therefore, the justice chain has received historically large resource allocations.
In this matter, we Social Democrats have a specific statement. It concerns, as in the previous case, that one should listen to the National Audit Office's recommendations. I will not go through the long and extensive list that has been presented. But fundamentally, it is about us needing to achieve a higher clearance rate again and a greater focus at the local level to prevent private individuals, entrepreneurs, and organizations from having their safety and security eroded. It is about the public's trust in the rule of law as a whole.
We who have worked with justice policy for a number of years are contacted by many people who tell us about their experiences when they have called the police contact center and tried to report a burglary in a basement storage room, that they have lost outdoor furniture outside their house, or that they have been threatened at work. Strikingly often, we hear stories that we as politicians perhaps do not really want to hear about people experiencing that they are not being listened to, that the investigative efforts are too poor or non-existent, or that they are informed that the case has been closed due to a lack of surveillance leads, even though they might personally know who committed the crime or which groups it might involve. We want it to work well. It thus becomes a trust gap between the public and the police that is incredibly devastating.
But there are also high costs for society associated with this. And there are, which is important to say, very clear links between so-called everyday crime and seriously organized crime.
We speak many times today about young people being drawn into gang environments. It reminds one of that type of behavior. It is somewhat this that it is about, that one gets young people to commit less serious crimes initially. They are drawn into this and are put into debt. People hold debts against each other, which in turn can emanate from crimes that at first are not particularly serious. But slowly but surely, young people are drawn into this and commit increasingly worse crimes. There are thus direct and decisive connections between these parts of criminal activity in our country.
One point in the National Audit Office's report is extra central, and that is when it is clearly stated that the resources are insufficient for the local police areas even if the investments at the regional level partially benefit the local police areas. Still, it is the case that the police's career opportunities have gone inward and upward. We have seen that one has become "waist-thick" and that the local police areas do not receive the resources required. And very many of these quantity crimes are handled at that level.
But, as I said, we have very effective control instruments in our society, and the state has the National Audit Office, the National Property Board, Brå and many others who are incredibly skilled evaluation instruments that we should be grateful for. They give us tools to make wiser decisions in the long run, and they also give the authorities guidance to sharpen their administrative competence. I believe that this report has been an eye-opener both for the Police Authority and for us politicians.
Katja Nyberg (SD)
Madam Speaker! An important part of the foundation of democracy consists of people's trust in the rule of law and that the state fulfills its responsibility for safety and crime fighting. In order to safeguard democratic values such as security, safety, and freedom of expression, everything from petty crime to serious crime must be combated.
More police officers are an absolute necessity for us to be able to handle the challenges we face today. But growth must not occur at any cost. It must occur with the police competence intact, and it must occur with room for competence development.
Investigations from the Swedish National Audit Office show that the combination of growth and competence is necessary for the police to be able to demonstrate better results, both when it comes to quantity crimes and when it comes to fatal shootings in gang environments. What is relevant, in other words, is not only more police officers but more skilled, effective, and competent police officers.
Madam Speaker! The police's handling of volume crimes is very inefficient. The National Audit Office has reviewed how the police handle volume crimes, which constitute approximately 80 percent of all reported crimes. Despite large budget increases, more employees, and a thorough reorganization, the results of the volume crime handling have worsened in terms of clearance.
When extremely serious crimes, disasters, or public order disturbances occur, the police are forced to prioritize. This comes at the expense of lower-priority activities such as everyday crimes, maintaining public order, and crime prevention work. But it is not possible to blame solely on the increased serious crime. If the Police Authority is to be able to utilize its resources in the best way, a larger space must be created for operational development, strategic decision-making, and co-determination. Management, governance, and organizational culture need to be adjusted so that the Police Authority can effectively carry out its mission.
Madam Speaker! There is a clear common denominator for many children, adolescents, and young adults who become members of criminal gangs. Murder, attempted murder, and other serious crimes are committed by criminals who once began their criminal path with simpler crimes, for example, stealing goods in a store. The problem is that it did not lead to any consequences. They learned then that it is risk-free to commit crimes.
Sweden today has the highest number of thefts per inhabitant in the EU. Every year, approximately 8.5 billion Swedish kronor are stolen in shops across Sweden. Together with the costs for crime prevention work in the retail trade, the costs for safety and security amount to over 25 billion kronor.
To curb this crime, cooperation between retailers, the municipality, and the police is required. It is also required that the police investigate crimes of a large scale. As it stands now, a large number of investigations are discontinued – many times through so-called direct write-offs – even when there is evidence available.
What are these deficiencies due to? According to the Swedish National Audit Office, this is due, among other things, to the fact that the police have not succeeded in staffing the local police areas to a sufficient extent and have not carried out necessary competence development. The limit for civil servants is also set too narrowly.
There are also deficiencies in the initial investigation measures - PKC or 114 14 - that need to be addressed. This is due, among other things, to an excessively high workload, lack of competence, and that PKC does not have command over the personnel who perform crime scene investigations. Even the e-reports that the reporter makes themselves can lead to serious crimes being categorized incorrectly and placed at the top of the pile. It is a time-consuming task for PKC to have to supplement these reports, and some cases that should be handled urgently end up far down in a pile of reports.
The consequence will be that the operational level receives an extensive workload resulting in insufficient investigative measures. This, in turn, risks leading to crimes that have the potential to be investigated instead remaining pending for so long that they can no longer be investigated, because the evidence has been weakened. Another consequence could be that the processing is concluded without any investigation being initiated at all, despite the fact that the case could have been investigated further.
The police admit themselves that there are deficiencies in the decisions made not to initiate a preliminary investigation, so-called direct dismissal, but despite the National Audit Office's criticism and the Police Authority's awareness of the inability to handle quantity crimes in a satisfactory manner, the situation has not improved. It was 13 years ago that the National Audit Office conducted a similar audit, and essentially the same problems remain. It is remarkable that the Police Authority is not managing to handle quantity crimes more effectively.
Madam Speaker! Those who have been subjected to a burglary in their home know that it is an enormous violation of the personal sphere. That an investigation has been closed with the justification that the crime cannot be proven reinforces the feeling of insecurity. It reinforces the feeling of mistrust and, in the long run, undermines confidence in the entire justice system.
Trust in the rule of law and the justice system differs between different parts of the country and between different groups. In some areas, there are own law enforcement groups. Overall, there is an image that the police have abdicated from everyday crimes when resources are insufficient and when they also do not show sufficient results when it comes to the most serious crimes. It is provoking, Madam Speaker, and it is a direct mockery of the vulnerable that they are met with a reality where the state has in reality capitulated.
The situation is serious. If the Police Authority does not rectify the deficiencies that the review has highlighted, it will eventually lead to a situation where crime victims, private individuals, business owners, and organizations do not have their safety and security ensured. A direct consequence of this is that public confidence in the justice system risks decreasing.
And with the fact that we are going to get a new top police leadership, we however have a real chance to turn the development around. It feels hopeful.
Fredrik Kärrholm (M)
Madam Speaker! The National Audit Office's report raises serious questions about the police's ability to handle the type of crime that constitutes more than 80 percent of all reported crimes in our society, namely volume crimes. Volume crimes, such as theft, vandalism, fraud, and assault, are crimes that seriously harm those who are subjected to them. Furthermore, volume crimes often have a connection to organized crime, which we should remind ourselves of. Therefore, it is of the utmost importance that the police have the ability to effectively combat and investigate volume crimes.
The National Audit Office's report gives us a clear indication that the results of the police's handling of quantity crimes have deteriorated when it comes to clearance despite significant funding increases, an increase in the number of employees, and a thorough reorganization. It is very worrying.
The National Audit Office notes that the police have not handled large-scale crime in a sufficiently effective manner. There are several factors contributing to this lack of ability. One of these is the Police Authority's distribution of resources. They have not succeeded in creating sufficient staffing in the local police areas. In recent years, the Police Authority has grown more at the top than at the bottom.
Earlier this year, the Crime Prevention Council presented its partial report on the evaluation of the initiative for 10,000 additional police officers. From this, it appears that the local level overall has not been provided with resources to the extent that was needed. Activities at the central level have increased more than the local police areas.
Madam Speaker! Far too many police officers plan, administer, analyze, write grandiose strategies, or work with diffuse method development in protracted projects. Far too few patrol the streets and investigate crimes. Far too many sit in meetings and discuss how things should be done. Far too few actually do anything.
Sweden's citizens need fewer bureaucrats and more real police officers. There are many competent police officers and civil servants who want to do a good job, at all levels of the organization, but they have been failed by the Social Democrats' mismanagement. It was during Morgan Johansson's watch that this development occurred. During the Social Democrats' time, crime worsened. During the Social Democrats' time in power, the police received poorer conditions. During the Social Democrats' time in power, the prisons became overcrowded.
It is now necessary to quickly build more facilities. Yes, it is difficult. Yes, it is expensive. But the alternative is worse. The alternative is that dangerous and crime-active persons are not locked up.
When the Social Democrats now oppose the expansion of the criminal justice system, they are making themselves the gangs' best friends. To oppose the expansion of the criminal justice system means that one opposes stricter penalties. Stricter penalties are necessary to combat organized crime. While the Social Democrats make themselves the gangs' best friends, the Moderates and the government do what is required to reverse the development and make Sweden safer and more secure.
The government is now fortunately taking action on this, and they are also taking action regarding the Swedish Police Authority. The Swedish Agency for Public Management has been tasked with carrying out an in-depth analysis of the Swedish Police Authority's resource management, which is very important. The new National Police Commissioner has been given a clear direction for their mission: to increase staffing locally and in core activities. This is now being closely monitored.
According to the National Audit Office's report, another challenge is the lack of necessary competence development within the Swedish Police Authority. Furthermore, the decision to limit the employment of civilian staff has affected the ability to effectively receive reports, conduct forensic investigations, and provide administrative support to the staff. The result of these deficiencies is a substantial workload at the operational level, which further exacerbates the situation.
The National Audit Office assesses that the situation is serious, and I share that assessment. At the Swedish Police Authority, the right actions must now be taken to rectify the shortcomings that the audit highlights. The National Audit Office assesses that if the necessary actions are not taken to resolve the problems, it could in the long run lead to more crime victims, business owners and organizations, and to more people not having their safety and security met. The National Audit Office also assesses that public confidence in the justice system risks decreasing.
This is very serious - and it is very serious that the Social Democrats have let it get this bad.
Ulrika Liljeberg (C)
Madam Speaker! Here in the chamber, in the debates and in the media, there is talk almost every day about shootings, violence and murder. The serious crimes are far too many, too cruel and too devastating. But the majority of the crimes committed in Sweden are volume crimes. They are unlawful threats, property damage, thefts, assaults, fraud and harassment. They affect and touch many and hit individuals, associations and small business owners. There are many crime victims.
The Swedish National Audit Office's report shows that petty crimes are not being handled effectively within the police, and the audit assesses the situation as serious. Solving petty crimes is an important part of upholding the social contract: that one follows all laws oneself and can expect society's action and reaction when one is subjected to a crime, regardless of the crime's severity. A crime is a crime. That we solve these crimes is crucial for the confidence in and trust in the police and the rule of law.
The report also shows that there are clear links between serious organized crime and the quantity crimes - as if other reasons to tackle this were not enough.
Madam Speaker! In general, all investigations regarding organized crime are led by a police officer. That means that both the reasons for the problem and the solution lie primarily within the police. It may be a question of how one uses the legislation and how one uses the increased resources received regarding money, technology, and staff. But it is also a question of leadership.
The Center Party recognizes that not every reported crime can be investigated. There will always be reasons to limit the preliminary investigation when there are many cases of almost the same thing, when there is no crime victim, and when it does not affect the sentencing.
Let me however underline that the phenomenon of direct dismissals erodes trust and devalues the laws we have enacted here. When the police drop reports directly and say that there is no reason to proceed when, in many cases, there is obviously evidence and good chances for prosecution, it is a failure. Here, decisive action needs to be taken.
What is often put forward both here and in other places by the current government and government base is that they have inherited a situation and a leadership from the previous government. Parties in the government base have even expressed that they do not have confidence in the police commissioner, even though the Minister for Justice has confidence in him.
What has happened since the report was handled in the committee is that the government has appointed a new police commissioner who enjoys the confidence of the entire government base and will take office shortly. We have read in the media that all parties - Liberalerna, Kristdemokraterna, Moderaterna and Sverigedemokraterna - have participated in the process and the decision, so now we and all crime victims look forward to a government base that collectively takes responsibility for the police's work and delivery when it comes to both serious crimes and mass crimes and that does not sit in the stands and shift the blame.
I will conclude by saying that I sometimes hear that the opposition's role is to wish for the government to fail. But I will honestly say that for the sake of all crime victims and for the sake of the rule of law, I hope that the current government succeeds, because we need an improvement quickly, here and now, and cannot wait until the next mandate period.
I vote in favor of the committee's proposal and also refer to the special opinion.
Torsten Elofsson (KD)
Madam Speaker! We are now debating the Swedish National Audit Office's report on the Police Authority's handling of quantity crimes. There is much to say about this, and a couple of things should be kept in mind during the debate.
The National Audit Office notes that there are a number of remarkable and serious deficiencies. This includes, among other things, that the police have not succeeded in staffing the local police areas to a sufficient extent. They have also not carried out necessary competence development, and they have set too narrow limits for the number of civilian employees.
There are also major deficiencies linked to the police contact center, PKC. It concerns long response times and a lack of competence. Many of us have surely experienced that one cannot get through to PKC when calling to report a crime. I have met many over the years who are frustrated, resigned, and irritated by this deficiency. There are also problems with reports as individual victims have been required to report crimes themselves via the internet. It can be stated that these reports fundamentally cause extensive additional work within the police because the reports are so deficient.
The Swedish National Audit Office also directs criticism towards the previous government. In the report, we can read that the previous government, through budget increases, did indeed make it possible for the police to handle the volume crimes in an effective manner and that they also gave the Police Authority relevant assignments and required reporting back. However, the Swedish National Audit Office points out in its report that the previous government was quite passive by not proposing legislative changes, which can affect the conditions for the Police Authority.
Hopefully the current government will do what is required and give the Police Authority the support that is needed through legislative changes and increased penalties. Some is already in place, but much more is to be expected. Petter Löberg can therefore rest assured that he will not be unemployed for long, because a great deal will land in the committee in the future.
Let me also mention that we are strengthening crime prevention work and putting the family at the center. We are investing historically much in the entire justice system, and we are expanding the police and the justice system at record speed. We also, of course, want to strengthen the investigative work and the local presence.
As mentioned here, the volume crimes constitute a very large proportion of the reported crimes, closer to 80 percent. The number of reported crimes was around 1.2 million in 2022. It concerns theft, property damage, fraud, assault and so on - crimes that affect individuals and come very close to them. They also come close to residential areas and affect our perception of safety very much. They obviously cause great harm to the victims and involve a great violation.
These are also crimes that often have a close connection to serious organized crime. Many of the everyday crimes that we experience - or quantity crimes, depending on what one wants to call them - are indeed entry crimes, especially for young people who enter criminality and grow into it. If nothing is done, if we do not resolve this, many of them will soon be involved in significantly heavier crime.
We Christian Democrats have for a long time pushed for the prioritization of mass crime to be clearly increased. As previously mentioned, it is unacceptable that cases are being put on hold. The amount of direct write-offs being made cannot be tolerated. It sends a wrong signal to the public but above all to the one who is affected by crime and experiences that they are not given the opportunity for redress.
One can however observe that there are methods to increase the clearance rate. Svenskt Näringsliv and Livsmedelshandlarna have looked at German police, who clear approximately 80 percent of shop thefts. I do not know if we will even reach a double-digit percentage in Sweden. One can wonder if it is a structural flaw or what else it is due to.
Regardless, one can observe that when we meet retailers, they say that they have stopped reporting shop thefts. The figure we last received was that three out of ten reported crimes. Seven out of ten therefore refrain from reporting crimes. Why is no report made? Yes, quite simply because it is perceived as not being worthwhile. One gets no response from the police, and instead, the cases are written off without any form of investigation at all, so-called direct write-off. One believes that the police shrug their shoulders and merely dutifully receive the report, which is then written off without any action.
As a Christian Democrat, I am happy to speak about the values that have built our society strongly. We have in Sweden a long tradition of high trust in our justice system. A police officer who has time to handle everyday crime is fundamental to preserving this trust in the rule of law and, ultimately, in each other as fellow human beings. It does something to us, regardless of the severity of what has occurred, to know that law enforcement is not functioning as it should. The feeling of powerlessness becomes tangible, while the signal to the offender is that you can get away with crime. It is a very worrying development that we must address.
Madam Speaker! Trust in the police remains high in surveys, especially when it comes to treatment. But when crime victims are asked how they perceive the police's effectiveness, only 20 percent, or one in five, think that the police are effective when it comes to handling crime reports.
Madam Speaker! One reason for getting the petty crimes cleared up and for direct write-offs to occur is that resources are tied up by the deadly gun violence. That is obviously important and prioritized. Serious crime naturally has high priority. But as I said, the petty crimes often have strong links to serious organized crime. This applies in particular to fraud, drug offenses, and certain crimes committed by young offenders. Those who start with a petty crime often end up with something significantly more serious.
To combat serious crime, we must therefore also investigate the gang crimes when the prospects for prosecution are good and ensure that the perpetrators are prosecuted. Therefore, it is very important to combat that type of crime.
In conclusion, Madam Speaker, we must constantly work with the local police presence, where there must be a continuity. It is not enough with a municipal police presence for an hour a week. The core idea with the reorganization in 2015 was a police officer closer to the citizens, a visible police officer with good local and personal knowledge and close cooperation with the municipality, the business community, associations, and residents. Sweden shall be a safe country to live in, regardless of where one lives.
Madam Speaker! This and much more was needed. The Christian Democrats' intensive work to combat crime continues - step by step, budget by budget and reform by reform. You as a crime victim should be able to trust Sweden again.
I therefore move for approval of the committee's proposal in the report.
Martin Melin (L)
Madam Speaker! The topic for the day is organized crime and the Swedish National Audit Office's report on how the Police Authority handles investigations of organized crime. As the previous speaker has pointed out, there is a great deal of criticism in the report.
It may be appropriate to first explain what "mängdbrott" (volume crimes) are for those who do not know. Simplified, one can say that mängdbrott are everyday crimes, that is to say, the type of crime that is most common in Sweden and which most people who experience crime are affected by.
I have worked with investigating crimes of large scale. I know how difficult it can be, but also how inefficiently the investigations can be handled and how easily cases are written off.
The criticism from the Swedish National Audit Office concerns, among other things, that too few crimes where a perpetrator has been identified are being solved. In many cases, this is justified. A crime has been committed, but the investigation does not lead to anyone being able to be prosecuted. In the worst cases, no investigation is conducted at all.
Mr. Speaker, to illustrate how difficult it can be to investigate a crime of violence with a designated perpetrator, I thought I would take an example that is not all too uncommon. We have person A who hits person B. Person B hits back. The witnesses are persons C, D, and E. The location is, let's say, Medborgarplatsen at 3:22 on a Friday night. It is rowdy and there are many people. The police arrive at the scene and find that everyone involved is intoxicated. Therefore, only short interrogations are conducted, and no one is arrested.
Two months later, an investigator has worked through the pile of investigations and taken hold of this case. The crime is assault of the ordinary degree, alternatively petty assault - an everyday crime, a common crime. The investigator conducts an interrogation via telephone with person A, who says that he hardly remembers anything. He remembers that someone hit him, but he does not remember what the person looked like, if it was with the right or left hand, where he was hit, or if he hit back. He simply does not remember the incident.
The investigator then calls person B, who essentially says the same thing. He also does not remember anything, but he states that he believes he pushed someone after having been pushed himself.
The investigator subsequently calls witnesses C, D and E. Witnesses C and D do not want to participate. They do not want to be involved at all. They do not want to speak with the police. Witness E states that there was some kind of fight between two people, but he does not remember more than that. He was too drunk.
The investigator compiles this, a matter of a simple nature, and sends it to a preliminary investigation leader at the police, who responds by dismissing the whole thing.
This was not an entirely unusual example of a case in the statistics with a designated perpetrator that did not lead to a prosecution. I believe everyone understands why it did not.
Madam Speaker! Another common theft case is a report of a burglary in a basement office. A resident discovers that someone has cut through the lock to the basement office and from this taken four winter tires, worth let's say 10,000 kronor. The time of the crime is at some point between August 4 and October 23. There are no witnesses or traces left at the scene.
This is a classic case, a theft of simple nature, which is written off the second after the report has been filed and approved - a number in the statistics. This is naturally due to the fact that such a case is impossible to clear up and investigate - until the day the resident discovers that his tires are now out for sale on Blocket.
Now comes what the National Audit Office, among other things, is critical of and what the public is critical of. I know that there are also police officers who are critical of how it goes. The complainant, who has been robbed of his tires and discovers them on Blocket, calls the police and tells them about the advertisement of his tires on Blocket. He would like the police to accompany him and visit the person who wants to sell his tires. The police respond that there are no resources. They cannot accompany him, unfortunately.
This could have been a measure that could have solved a burglary or a scam, perhaps even several such crimes. A thief could perhaps have been apprehended and put behind bars. Instead, the case is dismissed because surveillance leads are lacking. So it must not go that way.
That the Swedish National Audit Office is critical of the police's investigation results is nothing new. Nor is it new that the Police Authority's response to the criticism is that they have made improvements. That is how it has sounded over the years. If one wants to delve deeper into this, I recommend reading the excellent reports by the police officer and researcher Stefan Holgersson. They are available online.
If crimes where there is a designated perpetrator or great possibilities to identify a perpetrator are not investigated to a greater extent, confidence in the police will decline. Today, confidence in the police is very high. 70 percent have high confidence in the police. But among those who have been affected by crimes and in that way come into contact with the police, the figure is significantly lower.
Madam Speaker! The government's directive to the Police Authority is now that the ambitions in crime-fighting work shall be sharpened and raised. In that regard, the government has been very clear. I want to convey that to the new National Police Commissioner, whom I would otherwise like to congratulate on her new position – I believe she will do a very good job. But I convey that I will monitor very closely how the Police Authority adopts the National Audit Office's report and the improvement measures that are proposed.
Pontus Andersson Garpvall (SD)
Madam Speaker! Shoplifting in Sweden has doubled since 2010. In 2021, 8.5 billion was stolen in Sweden. Almost half of this is estimated to be thefts of food, for example meat. This is noticeable in the country's grocery stores. In many places, stores no longer dare to have expensive beef on display, precisely because of the risk of theft. Newer stores have introduced exit checks even at regular checkouts. Some particularly crime-prone stores have guards on site. This represents a cost for the store, and that in turn falls on the customer.
In 2021, the Act on Entry Bans was introduced. It means that persons who on repeated occasions subject the store or its employees to crimes can be granted an entry ban to that specific store for a limited period of time. During the first two years, 423 applications were submitted. Of these, 198 were granted, approximately 47 percent. At the same time, the costs for shoplifting continue to skyrocket.
The collective assessment from the trade is that the ban on entry is not working. It is an overly complicated and protracted process. Since the stores' police reports regarding thefts are almost always shelved and later dismissed, it becomes even more difficult to get applications for bans on entry granted.
The Swedish National Audit Office's overall conclusion in the review of the Police Authority's handling of shoplifting is that the authority does not handle shoplifting effectively. If our law enforcement agencies do not succeed in preventing the shoplifting that shop thefts are a part of, it is my firm opinion that the stores must be given increased opportunities to act themselves, Madam Speaker.
Fundamentally, it is about the right of ownership. Many shop owners all over Sweden put their soul into their shop. Many of the shops are located in small communities and are an important part of keeping these small communities alive. The shop owners want nothing more than to have customers, but when people repeatedly misbehave, it must become easier to eject them.
It is about the right of ownership. It must be up to the shop to decide on its own who does not belong in their shop, just as we do not let people who misbehave into our homes. It would be bizarre if I, as a homeowner, would have to apply for who should not be allowed to enter my house or onto my property.
But this is typical for Sweden. We have a problem with shoplifting. Instead of clearly marking through legislation for the person who owns a shop that that person decides who is not allowed to be on their property, it becomes a half-measure. It obviously looks good on paper, but it does not work in practice. It is about the shop owner's right to their property. When society cannot give shop owners that security, it must be up to the country's shop owners to act themselves. Otherwise, the criminals win.
The Swedish National Audit Office's overall conclusion in the review of the Police Authority's handling of quantity crimes is that the authority does not handle quantity crimes effectively. I agree with the criticism and expect that the measures required to restore confidence in the Police Authority's handling of these types of crimes are implemented.
Rasmus Ling (MP)
Madam Speaker! It is interesting to listen to the debate on the Swedish National Audit Office's report on how the Police Authority handles so-called quantity crimes.
I would like to begin by moving for approval of the reservation in the report that we in Miljöpartiet have submitted together with Vänsterpartiet.
The Swedish Police Authority has grown enormously and rapidly over the last decade. The annual appropriation is heading towards 40 billion kronor. This can be compared with around 23 billion in 2014, when I was elected to the Riksdag. In addition to the appropriation increases, it has meant more employees. The police have also been given more resources and tools in various ways. But the results have not improved to a corresponding degree and are far from what we had hoped for. I believe we in the chamber are in complete agreement on that.
The so-called volume crimes, i.e., crimes committed in large quantities, are the most common crimes: narcotics offenses, fraud and thefts. Here, the National Audit Office's criticism of the Swedish Police Authority is harsh. This is not being handled effectively. The potential for improvement is quite large.
The problem with quantity crimes is large. Many are affected, including companies, the business sector and the elderly. There are many crime victims all over the country. Therefore, it is important that it can function better and that the police prioritize that type of crime.
Madam Speaker! The police are now facing a new situation. A new Commissioner of the Swedish Police will take office next week. There will also be an assistant Commissioner of the Swedish Police. This will therefore be an organizational change in the leadership. We want the new leadership to be given the best possible opportunities to work towards combating serious organized crime but also these volume crimes, the most commonly occurring ones.
This is an area that Miljöpartiet will follow. We want the government to ensure that the recommendations to the National Audit Office are actually implemented. We believe that they are important. I note that most in the chamber do not want to do so, but there are still a few hours left until the vote at 16:00.
Madam Speaker! I move for approval of the Green Party's reservation.
The deliberation was hereby concluded.
Source: The Swedish Parliament. The speeches come from the open data of the Riksdag, translated into English by AI, which may contain errors.