'Allow foreign police in Sweden': minister

Published: 25 Apr 09 11:30 CET
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/19070/20090425/

Dictionary tool Double click on a word to get a translation

Minister of Justice Beatrice Ask wants foreign police to be able to operate in Sweden. A committee of inquiry will be set up to look into ways in which this might work.

Speaking at the Moderate party local government conference in Örebro, the minister yesterday aired her thoughts on how the inquiry should proceed. The committee will have until the end of next year to complete its assignment, which will include assessing situations in which foreign police officers would be permitted to act, i.e. exercise their official authority, vis à vis Swedish citizens. Operations could involve arrests or other police measures.

According to TT's sources, the Government feels there is a need to allow foreign police operations in Sweden as a complement to the work of the Swedish police in areas such as human trafficking/smuggling or other forms of cross-border crime. Cooperation could also include support during major public events, such as international summit meetings, sporting events where crowd violence is likely, major accidents or other crises.

Ask noted that the opposition, including the chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Justice and her predecessor in office, Thomas Bodström, are opposed to the idea of foreign police operating on Swedish soil.

“We will now draw up a background document and discuss it. I believe that with a good basis to build on we will reach an agreement acceptable to everyone. That’s how it usually works. I can’t imagine anyone opposing our proposal if we show that greater collaboration, subject to certain conditions and in certain contexts, would be good for crime prevention and our security,” the minister said at a press conference during the Moderate party local government conference in Örebro.

Ask maintained that citizens living in areas bordering on Norway, Finland and Denmark find it difficult to understand the current obstacles to cooperation and would regard it as unreasonable not to take advantage of the opportunity to move forward.

The inquiry will be chaired by the head of Ekobrottsmydigheten (Swedish Economic Crime Authority) Gudrun Antemar.

The head of Rikskriminalpolisen (Swedish National Criminal Police), Therese Mattsson, welcomed the minister’s decision to look into the feasibility of allowing foreign police to operate in Sweden.

“An excellent initiative. We have wanted this for a long time,” Mattsson said to TT. She referred to the need for clearly defined rules on issues such as how and when foreign police officers would be allowed to carry weapons and under what circumstances they would be permitted to intervene. She emphasised that overall responsibility lay with the Swedish police and that foreign contingents would ultimately be under Swedish command should joint operations become a reality.

As an example of the kind of cooperation that could be further developed, Therese Mattsson and Beatrice Ask cited the joint exercises held by the Swedish and Norwegian special task forces. However, they point out that it would be a major advantage if they could also collaborate in critical situations, especially as this would better enable them to endure protracted operations.

Stuart Sheild (news@thelocal.se/08-6566518)

What do you think? Leave your comment below.

Fark It! Digg This Facebook  Share everywhere
Send to a friend Printable version Twitter This

Your comments about this article:

The comments below have not been moderated in advance and are not produced by The Local unless clearly stated. Readers are responsible for the content of their own comments. Comments that breach our terms and conditions will be removed.

10:06 April 25, 2009 by Nemesis
This is the first sensible idea I have heard for the police in Sweden, since I came to Sweden two years ago. Crime in the Oresund is completely cross border. Alsmost all drug and money laudering is cross border as well as some tax evasion.

Police officers from other countries will be shocked at how lenient and lazy police in Sweden are.

However the excahnge of police officers and ideas, will most likely help to improve the police in Sweden. Any problems regarding inter ountry police cooperation will be exchanged at minsterial level, allowing problems to be raised more effectively and possible dealt with.

Sweden needs more determined, agressive, police who actually give a damn what is happening in there country and want to improve there society.

For to long Sweden has had a policy of turn a blind eye as long as possible to criminals. Having other police forces in Sweden can only help to expose that and in the long term help the police here to put criminals in jail.
10:08 April 25, 2009 by peropaco
Any help the inadecuate and ill-prepared Swedish police can get is welcome.
10:48 April 25, 2009 by tetsuo_red
The best way to prevent crimes is to just hire 2 million more police, put a barbed wired fences all around, have a cerfew, everyone is guilty until proven innocent, torture, executions or maybe just copy the East German Stazi approach.

To talk about a joint venture between the countries of scandinavia is one thing but to include the rest of the world is another.

"..when foreign police officers would be allowed to carry weapons and under what circumstances they would be permitted to intervene" - This is a threat to the sovereignty of any nation.

Beware I tell you or we heading towards China/American style police state.
14:09 April 25, 2009 by rybo1
My adopted country, Sweden, is becoming ridiculous. Are the powers that be going to hire washouts from "Black Water" ?
15:00 April 25, 2009 by dtes
POLICE STATE on its way? ITS HERE, RISE UP FOLKS! This lady should be chased out of town by a mob, but instead the tvheads just clap, its all they know to do.
16:00 April 25, 2009 by samwise
so they need foreign police to enforce their laws on this land?

should swedes respect chinese police the same way as swedish police? say, they want to search your house, and show you their chinese police card, and you cooperate?

it feels weird.

but on the other hand, if the crime rate goes up, we blame the chinese and the british for not enforcing the law here, I suppose.

nice try.

"Beware I tell you or we heading towards China/American style police state. "

- tell me why so many chinese want to move to the states, but not the other way around?

I guess one of the consequences of freedom is that we have to live with this kind of crap.
18:17 April 25, 2009 by Sebastian_R
Guys, I think you need to calm down: Scandinavia is getting closer and closer and if it helps police efficiency to work with the Danes, why not?

Nobody is talking about inviting the CIA in (besides that happens anyways) but I saw Swedish police helping in Copenhagen and I was glad for it. Sometimes there are moments when good neigbors just need to help each other out. And then it is nice to be able to do so.
20:26 April 25, 2009 by Roger O. Thornhill
and now the worst is to come.

You didn't finish your sentence.
20:45 April 25, 2009 by peropaco
Do we actually need more Scandinavian police doing the routine sobreity test each midsummer eve? After all; that is the only time ones c's a police officer in Sweden.
06:49 April 26, 2009 by Onepack
The "police state" is coming, whether we like it or not. We are now being monitored in our actions on the internet, we are being photographed in public places via cameras hung in public places. the quesiton is quality. Sweden is in the formative stages of its police state... It is seeking help, but when it arrives we will find that there is a "formula" that must be followed... they call it "procedures for securing the population". Fear will be its prime persuader and money will be its fuel. This is going to be a BIG BUSINESS. An alternative would be to reform immigration rules and increase the educational standards of the country.
16:19 April 26, 2009 by Qassim
Cooperation between polices in neighboring countries will only contribute an enforcement in law and order in the Nordic region. Any attempt to make this idea work is what I can say a right step taken to the right direction.

Nothing or Less is almost known about what is going near the borders of all these Scandinavian countries - This will only not help the Nordic countries' security but also it will be a security measure that will help all the EU countries and it will also be an exemplary step for many countries European nations.
16:55 April 26, 2009 by rlnan64689497
It would be interesting to see published police reports of arrests made for crimes besides public intoxication, and driving violations. It would also be interesting to know the actual number of police officers in comparison to the current population in Sweden. I really think they need more officers. It shouldn't be too much of a problem with all the layoffs happening now. Being a police officer is not an easy job, but any reasonable offer of help to improve operations should be welcomed. I am not very confident in the police here. I go out very rarely now because I don't feel safe. Mainly because I seldom ever see police on patrol. Just seeing police helps law abiding citizens feel secure.
21:51 April 26, 2009 by Jakub72
Please advise on your comparision of the US to China in that specific capacity. I feel that I have more to worry about here then I did in the States, but that is just my current perception. But comparing the US to China might be a stretch....
10:09 April 27, 2009 by bocale1
One thing is saying that there should be ways to facilitate the cooperation between polices for well delimited and specific investigations (e.g. drugs smuggling, human trafficking, etc...) other is saying that foreign police should be allowed to exercise its power in Sweden during major public events or without specific clear borders... e.g. could you imagine, during an international summit, the Chinese police acting in Sweden trying to apply the same illiberal laws existing in China about freedom of speech and protest?

And, all in all, before introducing innovative ways of international cooperation, we may discuss how to improve the efficiency of the Swedish Police... let´s not try to find abroad solutions to our internal problems... the other countries are not better than Sweden in terms of safety and security (I would say the opposite!)
14:22 April 27, 2009 by The lighthouse keeper
During the World War II, the Swedish government allowed the NKVD/KGB to arrest Soviet citizens in Sweden, who had been given asylum.

By any normal standards a treasonous act.

Now our "conservative"/moderate minister of Justice, Beatrice Ask, wants to allow foreign police to operate in Sweden.

Thereby taking a another step to abolish our national sovereignty.

Is this constitutional or did we abolish our constitution when we joined the EU in 1994?

Most dimwits think the proposition to allow foreign police to operate in Sweden is excellent. I mean, how stupid can you get?

People don't deserve freedom. They are actually too stupid.

That's some comfort, anyway.

P.S. The idiots in the intelligence community might very well find talk of "a treanous act" reason enough to start monitoring me for suspected "right wing extremism" or something.
13:46 April 29, 2009 by jhk
lighthouse:

given you are obviously intelligent, articulated and an all round good egg perhaps you could enlighten dimwits with a rational arguments. Something more than the something bad was done a long time ago, and therefore it must be the same today.

Also why is allowing police officer to operate in sweden a abolishment of sovereignty. Operate is not the same as prosecution. If an under cover policeman is risking his/her life and he needs to cross a border should the swedish police cooperate with and allow the operation, or should he/she tell the bad guys, sorry can't cross this border due to not being allowed as its an infringement of sovereignty?

Do you see any benefits where inter cooperation of police forces would help combat international crimes.

that said, anyone operating her should be subject to swedish law ie sending people off on a CIA airplane is not a good thing.

Its about balance.
ADD YOUR COMMENT   (YOU MUST LOG IN OR REGISTER TO MAKE A COMMENT)
Today's headlines
Three arrested for killing of Swedish soldiers

Three arrested for killing of Swedish soldiers

Three men have been arrested in Afghanistan on suspicion of being connected to the the death of Swedish soldiers Johan Palmlöv and Gunnar Andersson near Mazar-e Sharif on Sunday. READ (8 COMMENTS) »

Parental 'child sick leave' peaks in February

Each February, Swedish parents take an estimated 600,000 paid leave days to take care of sick children, according to new Social Insurance Agency statistics. READ »

'Only good foreign soldier on Afghan soil is a dead one': Jan Myrdal

'Only good foreign soldier on Afghan soil is a dead one': Myrdal

Swedish author and anti-war activist Jan Myrdal has sparked outrage following a public lecture in which he appeared to welcome the killing of Swedish, US and other soldiers. READ »

Sharp increase in asylum seeker deportations

Sharp increase in asylum seeker deportations

The number of asylum seekers deported from Sweden rose by 1,300 during 2009, according to new figures from the Swedish Migration Agency. READ »

Dental service probed as girl dies after toothache

The Swedish Welfare Board is set to investigate the Swedish Public Dental Service after a nine-year-old girl died following repeated visits to the dentist complaining of toothache and an abscess. READ »

Ingrid, 79, declared dead by Swedish tax authorities

79-year-old Ingrid Ståhl of Malmö in southern Sweden found out to her surprise that she had been registered as dead after a mistake by the Swedish Tax Agency. READ (8 COMMENTS) »

Söderling claims comeback win

Söderling claims comeback win

Swedish tennis star Robin Söderling showed no signs of the elbow complaint which knocked him out of the Australian Open, firing 26 aces to earn a 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 win over Frenchman Florent Serra on Monday in the Rotterdam Open. READ »

Man shot on Stockholm street

A 29-year-old man was shot on Södermalm in Stockholm on Monday night. He was hit in the leg and in the shoulder, but was able to call an ambulance. No one has been arrested as the man refuses to talk to the police. READ (1 COMMENT) »

More National

Blog Update: Boston Blatte

09 February 22:56

Safety: overly conscious? »

"No one is surprised to hear that safety is important to Swedes. After all, the first 3-point seat belt was first put into production for cars in the Volvo PV444 in 1959. But there are moments when I think that the devotion to safety extends beyond the fair margin to allow for Darwin Award nominees...." READ »

Poll

Are you interested in subletting your apartment in Sweden within the next two years?

   

View Results
Highlights
Photo: Tommy Andersson/Scanpix
SPORT »
Biathlete Helena Jonsson gunning for gold as Swedes set sights on ten Vancouver medals
Two year wait for Stockholm flat: report
NATIONAL »
Two year wait for Stockholm flat: report
Photo: www.finest.se
GALLERY »
The weekend's 'finest': February 5-7
Photo: Siri Ambjörnsson
SOCIETY »
Finding your inner Agnetha: The camp turning out a new wave of Swedish rock mums
Photo: www.stureplan.se
GALLERY »
Midweek revellers: February 3-4
Photo: Cathy Yeulet
LIFESTYLE »
February in Sweden: No sex please, we're cold
Photo: Billy Talent by Dustin Rubin
LIFESTYLE »
What's On in Sweden: February 4th - 11th Billy Talent, Bodypoppers, Bob Marley tribute.
Photo: Roland Karlsson
OPINION »
Profile: Sweden's new Minister for EU Affairs, Birgitta Ohlsson: A colourful politician with feminist credentials and lofty ambitions.
Photo: Piteå Kommun
SPONSORED ARTICLE
Swedish Rail Destinations with SJ: Piteå is best known as a summer destination, but wintertime offers skating across the ice in the Gulf of Botnia and cosy dinners in the pretty town centre.
Latest news from The Local in Germany
Blog
  • 5 questions for Diana Orving
    Diana Orving’s line consists of organic yet edgy fashion. The garments are delicate and luxurious. Both structured and deconstructed elements coexist in many of her pieces and produce a surprising...
  • 5 questions for The Local Firm
    The Local Firm is a young independent label created by Richard Hutchinson and Axel Nyhage that is based in Stockholm. The label has a reputation for a refreshing viewpoint on fashion. Drawing...
  • 5 questions for Kerstin Ekman
    Swedish author Kerstin Ekman started writing detective novels, then moved on to more psychological and social themes. In September 2009 she released her latest novel Mordets praktik. Sweden.se asked...
  • The Swedish Model in practice
    The term “Swedish Model” is used to describe the fact that the Swedish society is based on a high degree of public financing. Let’s find out what this means in practice by following a regular...
Essentials

Jobs - in Sweden, in English
Get your career on track with our job listings from Sweden's top employers.

Property - renting or buying in Sweden
Navigating the minefield of renting or buying an apartment or house in Sweden.

Weather
"There is no bad weather, just bad clothes," say the Swedes. Here's the forecast for everyone else.

Introducing...
Every week The Local serves up a spicy helping of Swedish celebrity for your delectation.

Stockholm Syndrome
Tales of crazy Swedish classes, hamfisted attempts to understand - and explain - real Swedes, and varied experiences of fellow foreigners gathered for your amusement.

Search News


Register

Register now for:
> Free use of noticeboard
> Special discounts
> Weekly news roundup
> Unlimited use of discuss

REGISTER FOR FREE »

Jobs in Sweden, in English

124 jobs in Sweden, in English
53 new jobs this week
20 new jobs today

ALL JOBS »

Jobs
Expatriate in Stockholm?
We offer services for foreigners who've recently moved or are planning to move to Stockholm. Corresponding with local authorities, organizing your home, seeking childcare and domestic help, plus more.
MORE INFO
Folk High Schools in Sweden
The Swedish Folk High Schools have courses that give you the possibility to bring out all your colors!
www.folkhogskola.nu
Visiting Stockholm?
Then you'll find The Local's new Stockholm Section useful. Find pics, guides, news and lots of useful information about Stockholm.
www.thelocal.se/stockholm
The Local's new Marketplace
Find products and services that are specifically focused on English speakers living in Sweden!
FULL DETAILS
Welcome to Adlon Hotel in Stockholm
A perfect location both for business and pleasure. Centrally located, with atmosphere.
www.adlon.se
Winter archipelago tours
Visit Stockholm's beautiful archipelago. Great boat tours for all preferences.
MORE INFORMATION
Doctor of Psychology
Therapy in English

David Schultz PsyD
Individuals & couples
In Stockholm in person or by phone or video conferencing
www.anxiousorblue.se
Play football in Stockholm
Kick-off the new football season with LFC, Stockholm's premier English-speaking football club.
MORE INFO
JOB: Trainee Sales Executives
Midfield Media, a leading provider of events and executive forums, is seeking Trainee Sales Executives
FULL JOB DETAILS
Enjoy a beautiful winter weekend in Västervik
Treat yourself with a calm and relaxing weekend in beautiful archipelago surroundings
MORE INFORMATION
JOB: Copy editor and English speaking project manager/editor
Tidningskompaniet, one of Sweden's leading agencies for custom publishing, seeks two new employees in Stockholm and Göteborg
FULL JOB DETAILS
Counseling in English Individuals & Couples - Stockholm
Beth Rogerson PhD - Clinical, Marriage & Family Therapist
Click or call 08-5580 1266 now