Shootings and explosions are at clearly lower levels than last year. However, this should not be interpreted as a decrease in violence, according to Erik Lindblad, operations leader for Frigg, the police's special task force against gang violence.
We see a continued extremely high demand for serious violent crimes, he says about the criminals' attempts to find people willing to carry out shootings and explosions.
The fact that serious gang violence has so far been at a lower level may partly be due to the police becoming better at detecting and disrupting criminal plans, he believes.
According to the police's assessment, 150 potential serious violent crimes have been averted this year alone. Many are linked to children who have run away from hvb-homes, an environment that gangs have long exploited.
Today, there is a much clearer focus on these young people, says Lindblad.
Previously, the attitude was that the child would probably come back, which they almost always did. But now that they are being used as shooters, we must pursue them in a completely different way.
Recruited from the the boy's room
The gangs' focus on institutionalized children may, however, be about to change, according to Lindblad, who says that they are increasingly seeing young people who live at home taking on assignments. Such a development could make it more difficult to detect criminal plans in time.
The children – increasingly under 15 years old – are not infrequently recruited from other areas, rather than from the local area.
Yes, my impression is that it's the "new normal", says Lindblad.
Assignments with details about targets, weapons, and payment are posted in forums that can be likened to pure job agencies for murder. After pressure from the police, a group on Telegram with thousands of members was recently shut down, where contracts for murder and explosions were advertised.
Acting with force
Society must act with the same force against digital recruitment as it does against physical recruitment, Lindblad believes.
If a criminal had stood on a square and shouted out to 10,000 children, "murder, Malmö, 250,000 kronor, who takes it?", then I'm pretty sure that society would have reacted.
The fact that many of the children are under 15 years old makes it more difficult, as such young people cannot be detained by the police.
It's reasonable, it's children we're talking about. But from our perspective, it's a concern, says Lindblad, and says that there are examples where children suspected of serious violent crimes have been driven home.
... the situation in the conflict within the Foxtrot network that broke out in 2023:
"The parties involved in this, they of course have a high ambition to harm and kill each other. That has not decreased and I do not think it will decrease."
... Swedish youths who travel to Denmark to commit violent crimes:
"It has calmed down significantly. It was most intense during the spring and summer."
... social media's responsibility for gangs' recruitment of children:
"They must understand that they are part of it and take social responsibility. Just as a shopping center owner can put in security guards to create safety, (Facebook owner) Meta also needs to do that."
... what the police should get better at:
"We need to increase our ability to be present online. And we need to make an ambition increase when it comes to following the money. If we can affect the criminal economy, we can win a lot."
