The Swedish government announced today, Friday, that it will allow the army to provide greater assistance to the police in combating a wave of crime that swept the country, resulting in 12 deaths in September. Incidents of gunfire are now occurring almost daily in Sweden, some committed by teenagers, with most of the violence attributed to gangs. Currently, Swedish law prohibits the military from assisting the police in any situation where the use of force is necessary, except in cases of terrorist attacks or wars.
Following a meeting with police and military leaders, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson stated that the army and police will now officially be tasked with exploring ways to cooperate. The government will also look into changing the law to broaden the circumstances under which the police can request military assistance, although specific details were not provided.
Kristersson mentioned in a press conference, "The wave of violence... is unprecedented in Sweden, but it is also unprecedented in Europe; there is no situation like ours in any other country." The government also expressed its desire for the army and police to assist each other in areas of logistics, IT specialized in forensic science, and expertise related to explosives and analysis, which may already be permissible under current laws.
