This article focuses on what is often termed the general (or public) sense of justice, GSJ for short. It illustrates the influence that the GSJ has had on variouspreparatory works in Swedish criminal law during a recent decade. It is oftenclaimed that the GSJ is used as an argument in political discourse and decisionmaking in the area of criminal law, especially to motivate criminalisation andharsher penal sanctions. Political points can be scored and general elections wonby deploying a tough stance on crime. A problematic aspect is that by appealingto the GSJ, legislators create a way to legitimise punitive measures with little orno empirical support in criminological research. Furthermore, the very conceptof the GSJ is unclear, contentious, and characterised by a plethora of interpretations.This article provides background on the GSJ in the Nordic countries andthereby gives context to some recent legislative work in Sweden. The article concludesthat legislators frequently reproduce phrases which, under closer inspection,appear quite hollow. The GSJ therefore seems to be more of a vague referenceused for political purposes as opposed to a representation of actual popularvalues.

Författningssamling i polisrätt 2020/21 samlar de mest centrala lagarna medrelevans för den polisiära verksamheten. Här presenteras rättsnormer frånolika rättsområden såsom t.ex. offentlig rätt, straffrätt, processrätt och socialrätt.

Boken riktar sig i första hand till studerande vid polisutbildningen menkan förstås lika väl användas av polisanställda som av jurister och andramed intresse för den polisiära juridiken.

Författningarna återges som de lyder den 1 juli 2020.

Något har hänt med kriminalpolitiken. Brott och straff står högt på den politiska agendan hos såväl regeringen som oppositionen. Kriminalpolitiken tillhör väljarnas viktigaste frågor. Brottsligheten får ett allt större utrymme i media. Reformtakten på det straffrättsliga området har accelererat. I den här boken tar tolv yngre svenska straffrättsforskare pulsen på den samtida kriminalpolitiken. Genom de olika bidragen belyses några av de mest omstridda platserna på den straffrättspolitiska kartan. Boken säger därigenom något om det kriminalpolitiska och straffrättsteoretiska landskapet i början av2020-talet.

Sedda tillsammans behandlar de olika bidragen teman som kriminalpolitiska utvecklingstendenser, straffrättsvetenskapens roll, relationen mellan teori, politik och dogmatik – och inte minst hur man ska förstå de straffrättsteoretiska premisserna i en föränderlig tid.

I början av 2000-talet var kriminalpolitik inte en särskilt viktig fråga i väljarnas ögon. Endast ett fåtal ansåg att samhällsproblem relaterade till lag och ordning var angelägna. Likaså angav få väljare att lag och ordning var av betydelse när de stod vid valurnan och skulle välja parti. Idag är det annorlunda. Lag och ordning har blivit ett centralt samhällsproblem och rekordmånga väljare oroar sig för gängbrottsligheten. I det här kapitlet studerar vi den kriminalpolitiska opinionen i Sverige. Resultaten visar att frågor som är kopplade till brott och straff har ett starkt samband med den politiska vänster-högerskalan. Människor som står till höger är avsevärt mer intresserade av och fokuserade på brott och straff än vad människor till vänster är. Vi kan också se att partierna till höger har större trovärdighet bland väljarna inom lag och ordning än vad som är fallet med de andra riksdagspartierna.

Introduction: In Sweden, police education should promote students’ physical activity and mental health. According to national goals, police students should be provided with sufficient conditions to develop and maintain advantageous exercise habits and tools to handle various mentally and physically demanding tasks. The national goals also state that students’ physical fitness must be better at graduation than what the requirements are for admission (see Krugly et al., 2022). Although the improvement of students’ physical fitness and mental health are national goals, there is a general lack of knowledge regarding: 1) police students physical and mental health, especially from a Swedish perspective; and 2) how well police education promotes students’ level of physical activity during education. Against this background, the aim is to explore police students’ mental health and level of physical activity during police education in Sweden.

Methods: The data derives from the largest project in Sweden on police students’ physical and mental health, and consists of longitudinal data on police students answers of a self-rated questionnaire about exercise habits and mental health (N = 785). The data used in this study was gathered between 2019–2021, and consisted of four data collection points, from two police educations in Sweden. The analysis was conducted in two steps. First, exploratory- and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to create scales for mental health orientation. Second, these scales, together with the variable exercise habits, were used as outcome variables in t-tests, X2 test and ANOVA. Effect size measurements were calculated and interpreted based on established guidelines.

Results: The results show high psychometric support for two scales named positive health orientation and negative health orientation. Based on the scales and the variable of exercise habits, three primarily results emerge: 1) the levels of physical training for men decrease during education; 2) there are gender differences showing that women have a more negative health orientation; and, 3) the positive mental health orientation decreases during education for both men and women.

Discussion: Swedish police education should prepare students for physically and mentally demanding work. However, as this study concludes, this tends to not be the case, especially given that both the level of physical activity and the positive mental health orientation decrease during education. This raises questions on whether the Swedish police education is doing “enough” to provide the students with adequate conditions for improving their mental and physical health.

Krugly, S., Bjärsholm, D., Jansson, A., Rosendal Hansen, A., Hansson, O., Brehm, K., Datmo, A., Hafsteinsson Östenberg, A., & Vikman, J. (2022). A retrospective study of physical fitness and mental health among police students in Sweden. The Police Journal: Theory, Practice and Principles. doi.org/10.1177/0032258X221089576

Although cannabis is the most frequent illicit drug consumed in Sweden, little is known about the situations in which cannabis trade, possession and use occur. Following a recent strand of international research on the effect of recreational drugs on crime, this study uses a unique specially tailored database, Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and regression models, to investigate the situational conditions of cannabis offenses as they are detected in Stockholm, Sweden. Cannabis coincides with the location of drug markets initially delimited by the police but also extends over to locations far from the radar of the police, such as private residences (comfort places). Modeling results indicate that several land uses (convergent public places) have significant predictive value of the geography of cannabis offenses after controlling for other neighborhood characteristics. The article finishes by stating new research questions and making recommendations for practice.

Transforming Problematic Masculinity: A Case Study of Boys’ Education in the Sports Locker RoomThe purpose of the study was through a case study to analyze the staging and experiences of an educational intervention carried out with teamsports active boys in Sweden, which aimed to change a problematic masculinity in Swedish society. The case study is ethnographic in naturewhere an authentic educational process is followed and studied throughobservations, interviews and documents. The empirical material consistsof observations of 14 intervention sessions with 100 boys (10–14 years ofage), interviews with in total 17 participants; ten boys, three coaches, twoeducators and two operations managers. This article problematizes howintentions to change problematic masculinity is expressed through interventions with boys within the framework of team sports in Sweden. Newknowledge is created about how different forms of masculinities are presented, negotiated, and challenged in education of boys in a sports lockerroom context. The results show that with different views on the problemsamong those involved, the intervention, as a solution to problematic masculinity, risks becoming counterproductive, which is reinforced if the content is not relevant to and adapted for the young target group. We arguefor a more nuanced views on problematic masculinity, especially in relation to interventions-based education of young boys in sport as a solutionwhich is in focus in this study. 

Den här boken tar sig an frågan om polisens samhällsuppdrag och hur målen för polisen uppfattas av olika parter. Boken handlar om polisen som den som både öppnar och stänger dörren till rättsväsendet, liksom hur polisens auktoritet utövas, vilka maktmedel som brukas och om balansgången mellan legitim kontroll och överkontroll. Sist men inte minst handlar den om hur polisens verksamhet kan eller bör fungera. Polis – vad är det? är en översättning och omarbetning av Liv Finstads bok Hva er politi som gavs ut på norska 2018. Boken vänder sig i första hand till studerande vid polisutbildningen men fungerar även utmärkt som litteratur i andra professionsutbildningar, exempelvis inom kriminologi eller socialt arbete, som leder till yrken som på olika sätt samverkar med polisen. Myndigheter är också en given målgrupp liksom den som bara har ett intresse av att veta mer om polisen i samhället.

This study investigates public perceptions regarding the prioritization of different areas of police work in Sweden amid growing concerns over crime and public safety. Utilizing a best–worst scaling (BWS) approach, the research aims to discern which police activities citizens deem most and least important, thereby shedding light on public expectations for police resource allocation. The findings reveal a strong public emphasis on the importance of responding to emergency calls and addressing gang criminality. Conversely, administrative tasks and traffic safety are viewed as lower priorities. The article offers insights into the alignment (or misalignment) between public expectations and police practices, emphasizing the role of public opinion in shaping police strategies and the importance of balancing crime fighting with social service functions to maintain public trust and legitimacy in law enforcement.

Driving simulators are a common tool for researching and practicing driver behaviors. Despite this, research on the use of driving simulators within the basic police training in Nordic countries is sparse. Therefore, the purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to evaluate and compare students’ driving ability regarding low-speed maneuvering in tight spaces, during a limited part of their education, based on the type of training (simulator only, courtyard only, or 50/50) they receive. 83 Swedish police students, divided into four classes, attending their second semester at the police program, participated in the study. These four classes were divided into three different experimental groups. The simulation group (two classes, n = 41) only practiced driving using a driving simulator. The 50/50 group (one class, n = 22) practiced driving a vehicle in the courtyard and in the simulator. The courtyard group (one class, n = 20) only practiced driving a vehicle in a courtyard. The results showed that there were no statistically significant differences between type of training and performance on the examination regarding low-speed maneuvering in tight spaces. The findings are discussed in terms of their implications for the use of driving simulators in higher education, more specifically in police basic training programs.

Traffic is the most dangerous environment for police officers to work in, both in terms of numbers who lose their lives in the line of duty and injuries to both people and vehicles. In addition, driver training is an important part of police training at basic level and in continuing education. However, such training is resource-intensive and certain driver tasks cannot be practiced. In order to create an effective, safe, and secure educational environment, driving simulators were tested as part of the driver training at the Police Program at Malmö University. 83 students who completed the second and then third semester participated in a study where groups that received different types of training and then performed the same examination were compared regarding low-speed maneuvering and driving on country roads. The results show that there are no significant differences in how the students perform on the practical examination depending on whether they trained in the simulator, both in the simulator and in the police car or only in the police car. Implications of the results and future research are discussed.

I föreliggande rapport presenteras resultatet av effektutvärderingen av pilotprojektet Sluta skjut – tillsammans för ett tryggt Malmö. Utvärderingen har genomförts på uppdrag av Brottsförebyggande rådet (Brå) med stöd från Brå och Fonden för inre säkerhet (ISF). Tidigare har enprocessutvärdering publicerats.

Den grova våldsbrottsligheten beskrivs som ett av de största samhällsproblemen i Sverige idag och efterfrågan på effektiva åtgärder som kan minska våldet är stor. Sluta skjut bygger på en amerikansk strategi, Group Violence Intervention, som i flera studier visat på positiva resultat när det gäller att minska det allra grövsta våldet. I processutvärderingen av Sluta skjut studerades om det går att tillämpa en amerikansk modell i en svensk kontext. I effektutvärderingen har vi studerat om insatsen lett till minskat antal skjutningar i Malmö. Svensk forskning om vad som fungerar för att minska det grova våldet är begränsad och det behövs mer kunskap för att brottsförebyggande aktörer ska få de verktyg de behöver för att vända utvecklingen.

Den grova våldsbrottsligheten beskrivs som ett av de största samhällsproblemen i Sverige idag och efterfrågan på effektiva åtgärder som kan minska våldet är stor. Svensk forskning om vad som fungerar för att minska det grova våldet är begränsad och det behövs mer kunskap för att Polis och andra brottsförebyggande aktörer ska få de verktyg de behöver för att vända utvecklingen. I den här processutvärderingen har vi studerat pilotprojektet Sluta skjut som är ett försök att implementera den amerikanska strategin Group Violence Intervention (GVI) i en svensk kontext. GVI har i flera internationella studier visat på positiva effekter. Resultaten från utvärderingen visar att det går att implementera den amerikanska strategin i en svensk kontext, effekten av insatsen har inte studerats inom ramen för den här utvärderingen. Utifrån det internationella kunskapsläget och erfarenheterna från implementeringen i Malmö är bedömningen att GVI är möjlig att implementera och kan vara värt att pröva i städer med stora problem med grov våldsbrottslighet.

Utvärderingen har genomförts på uppdrag av Brottsförebyggande rådet (Brå) med stöd från Brå och Fonden för inre säkerhet (ISF).

This study aims to explore police students’ self-rated mental health and physical activity levels and the relationship between them. Based on longitudinal and cross-sectional data (N = 722), two scales on mental health orientation were developed. The scales and levels of physical activity were analyzed using t-test, ANOVA, and X2. During police education, (1) the level of physical activity decreases for men, (2) there is a decline in positive health orientation for both sexes, and (3) women report a more negative health orientation. This raises questions regarding whether “enough” is done to provide police students with sufficient conditions for improving their health.

Working as a police officer involves mentally and physically demanding tasks. During the Swedish police education, students should be provided with sufficient conditions to develop and maintain advantageous exercise habits and tools to handle mentally and physically demanding tasks (see Krugly et al., 2022). However, there is a lack of knowledge regarding Swedish police students exercise habits and overall mental- and physical health.

The aim is to explore police students’ mental health and physical activity levels during police education in Sweden.

The data consisted of police students answers of a self-rated questionnaire about their physical and mental health. The data used in this study was gathered between 2019–2021, and consist of four data collection points, from two police educations in Sweden. The analysis was conducted in two steps. First, exploratory- and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to create scales for health orientation. Second, these scales were used as outcome variables in t-tests, X2 test and ANOVA. Effect size measurements (Cohens, d, Crames V and Phi) were calculated and interpreted based on well establish guidelines.

Two scales were developed (i.e. positive health orientation and negative health orientation), and both showed high psychometric support. Based on the scales, two primarily results emerged: 1) results showed that women had a more negative health orientation in general and that positive health orientation, for both genders, decreased between semesters one to four; and 2) more women conducted two hours (or more) per week of physical exercise. Moreover, physical training among men decreased continuously during their education.

Conclusions and ImplicationsBased on the results, this study questions whether police education in Sweden doing enough to prepare students for a mentally and physically demanding profession.

The well-being of neighbourhoods in terms of socioeconomic conditions constitutes an important element in analyses focused on the explanation of crime trends and public safety. Recent developments in Sweden concerning gun violence and open drug scenes are worrying and the police are under a great deal of pressure to resolve the situation in many neighbourhoods, which is in turn affecting Swedish society as a whole. This study focuses on micro areas in terms of sociodemographic factors and the presence of drug markets and gun violence. The aim is to explore the relationship between these factors and what characterises areas that are experiencing the greatest difficulties. The study develops an index for the prediction of gun violence in micro areas, in this study portrayed by vector grids. The findings show an overlap between gun violence and drug markets and that micro areas in that overlap share harsh sociodemographic conditions. The study produces an index indicating the probability that a grid cell would experience gun violence. The index was then validated using recent gun incidents, and was found to have high accuracy. The resulting grids constitute a suitable target for resource allocation by police and other actors. This could facilitate a more accurate and precise focus for measures to prevent areas from becoming—or to disrupt already existing—hot spots for gun violence.

Prior research shows that women’s higher fear of crime compared with men can largely be explained by women’s fear of rape. Whether women’s higher fear can also be explained by fear of nonviolent sexual harassment has not been explored. This study tested the shadow of sexual assault hypothesis in a sample of almost 3,000 Swedish university students. Our results confirm previous tests of the shadow thesis on the effect of fear of rape. In addition, we show that fear of sexual harassment also explained differences in fear between men and women. Based on the findings, we recommend that strategies to reduce sexual violence should focus on the entire continuum of violence against women.

Purpose – This article examines how hope for an effective partnership approach to policing is maintained ineveryday policing.

Design/methodology/approach – Data collection involved 22 qualitative interviews, and observationswith police officers and municipal employees in Stockholm, Sweden. It also includes an analysis of theirdocuments.

Findings – Using the concept of mechanisms of hope (Brunsson, 2006, 2009), this article explores how policeofficers and other actors in the security landscape maintain hope in partnership policing despite havingcompelling reasons to be cynical and sceptical. The findings indicate that mechanism of hope is an importantelement in the way police handle uncertainty and maintain institutional pressures in their everyday policingpractices.

Originality/value – By demonstrating how actors responsible for implementing a partnership approach topolicing maintain hope in partnership policing, this article advances our understanding of myths in policing, aswell as the institutional settings in which policing is conducted (Crank, 2003). Moreover, this article providesinsight into the opportunities and challenges embedded in the social configuration of hope.

The current article reports findings from a research project on partnership policing in Stockholm, Sweden, to investigate how partnership policing strategies translate into social action. Consideration is given to the ways in which police officers and city employees produce chains of administrative tasks as they navigate their institutional environment and strive to produce legitimacy for partnership policing. More broadly, the findings suggest that the inner mechanisms of a partnership approach to policing are shaped by the self-referential (Eigendynamik) character of administration. The article discusses implications for partnership policing and for the broader literature on policing.

Minority populations' trust toward the criminal justice system is understudied in many parts of Europe, including Sweden. This article will contribute to this field by examining the trust in the criminal justice system among the Roma community in Sweden. The aim of the study was to (1) estimate the Roma community's trust toward the criminal justice system, (2) examine what factors influence the community's trust toward the criminal justice system, and (3) analyze whether trust toward the authorities influences the Roma community's willingness to report victimization. The study used a mixed-methodology design in combining survey data (n = 610) with in-depth interviews (N = 30). The findings show that the respondents have a low level of trust in the criminal justice system authorities. According to the regression analysis, the strongest predictor of trust was shown to be explained by the respondent's perception of procedural unfairness. Qualitative findings supported these results while also highlighting cultural effects and historical processes that explain the community's lack of trust. Finally, trust in the authorities seems to be an important factor that influences crime reporting.

The present study examines the prevalence and impact of victimization among a sample of Roma individuals in Malmö and Gothenburg (Sweden). The aim of the study was to examine the link between visibility and victimization, and whether the Roma community employs behavioural strategies to reduce visibility, and, finally, to analyse how such strategies affect the group. The study design combines survey data (n1⁄4610) with interviews (n1⁄430). The findings suggest that visibility is an important risk factor for victimization and that the study participants’ attempt to conceal their ethnicity affects them negatively both at an individual and a community level. The discussion concludes by presenting a number of policy implications.