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Career criminality drains millions from Sweden

Published: 3 Jan 13 08:19 CET | Print version
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/45392/20130103/

Career criminals cost Swedish society so much that the government needs to take youth criminality more seriously, not only for the individual's sake, but also to keep costs in check, two economists have claimed

Ingvar Nilson and Anders Wadeskog used the town of Södertälje, one hour south of Stockholm, for their research because it has been plagued by criminal networks in recent years.

"We confirmed what we suspected, that the costs are enormous, but you can't see them at once because there are so many different actors involved," Nilson told the Dagens Nyheter (DN) newspaper.

The review took into account the costs of social services, police and courts costs, and other state-financed safety networks such as social security.

A robbery costs Sweden 226,000 kronor ($35,000), the researchers found, while an assault costs 203,000 kronor.

Aggravated assault, if it leaves the victim with permanent disabilities, can end up with a price tag of 50 million kronor.

The result of the study, which was commissioned by the anti-youth violence NGO Akta huvudet (Watch Your Head), illustrates the need for more preventative work, the report authors argued.

"The sums of money that now go into preventative work are very modest compared to the costs of crime," Nilsson said.

He and Wadeskog looked closely at young Swedes, mostly boys, who risk slipping into chronic criminality.

Only in Södertälje, they said, there are 600 boys who risk dabbling in crime. Of them, about 50 may slip into a life of crime.

The researchers calculated that if the youths do end up becoming career criminals, each one will cost society 80 million kronor before they turn 40.

"To put a stop to this when the boys are 10-years old is cheap compared to what they'll cost later," Nilson said.

TT/The Local/at
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13:06 January 3, 2013 by burito
Is it native swedes are going to become criminals,or young muslim emigrants or their children?Problem not gona be solved if it is not getting solved,or just going around it in circles.Good look in talking around it ,and going around it...And when read The Local after 20 years,you still be -around it....What a joke...
13:57 January 3, 2013 by Abe L
It's typical Swedish to not address a problem unless it starts costing the government to much money. This should have been on top of the law enforcement's list for many years already.

It will also cost the government and tax payers a fortune to retrain the current police force from speeding ticket writing professional to actual criminal catching police.

This problem will only get fixed with a proper police approach and much more serious jailtime for such crimes. There should be fixed amounts of jailtime for robberies and assault of at least 15 years in prison without parol or early release.
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