Police say they see a positive trend in solving gun murders in Sweden.
They are hopeful that 72% of the fatal shootings committed last year will soon be considered solved – compared to 2022 when only 29% were solved.
According to the police, the improvement in solving crimes is due to a “change in working methods” and they believe that the previous downward curve has now been broken.
– We are close to the perpetrators in a completely different way than we have done before and we work together, across the country and at all levels, in what we call an unbroken chain of reaction. We act and react extremely quickly. It is of course very good that we are clearing up so many more cases, says National Police Commissioner Petra Lundh, in a press release.
In the early 1990s, about 80 percent of the country’s gun homicides were solved – but then it was just a few cases a year, often related to the motorcycle community – today there are significantly more fatal shootings and many more perpetrators involved.
“In short, this means that in murder cases involving firearms, more people are arrested today and the number of suspects per case has thus increased sharply”, they note.
“Far from the end”
For 2024 (January-October), the number of unique suspects with at least one suspected crime is 108. In 2023, the number was 66 and the year before, 46. The most common offenses are completed murder, aggravated firearms offenses, and attempted murder, solicitation of murder, or conspiracy to commit murder.
– Looking at unique suspects gives a better picture of the police’s increased ability, both in terms of initial measures in connection with the crimes, but also the actual investigative activities, says Johan Olsson, head of the National Operations Division (Noa).
Although the results of investigations are improving and there have been fewer shootings and fewer murders this year than in previous years, the assessment is that the violent capital of organized crime has not decreased – and that it is important to continue to focus on reversing the trend.
– We see that we are arresting more people, preventing more acts of violence and have better information and understanding of the problem today. This is a development we are proud of, but we are far from finished, emphasizes Johan Olsson.
