Vulnerable area
Vulnerable area (Swedish: Utsatt område) is a term applied by police in Sweden to areas with high crime rates and social exclusion.[1][2][3] In the December 2015 report, these areas numbered 53.[4] In the June 2017 report, these totalled 61. The increase is reported to be due to better reporting, not a changing situation.[5] The overall trend is that these areas are improving.[6]
All the areas are situated south of the town of Gävle and most are areas constructed during the Million Programme (MP), although there are towns north of Gävle having MP areas they do not experience the crime rate of some southern MP areas.[7]
Characteristics
A vulnerable area is described as being geographically defined and having a low socioeconomic status and criminals negatively affecting society. The three categories of vulnerable area are divided along level of severity: vulnerable area, risk area and especially vulnerable area.[8]
These areas are sometimes called no-go zones as emergency services such as fire engines and ambulances cannot drive into these areas during a tense situation without a police escort as they will be attacked by criminal gangs.[3]
The population in these areas have higher rates of unemployment, whereas about 67% of the general population has employment, the share in vulnerable areas is about 49%.[9]
According to a 2017 report by Swedish Defence University , of those who have travelled from Sweden to conflict zones to participate in terrorist activities, 70% were residents in vulnerable areas.[10]
According to a 2018 report by Swedish Television, the overall trend is that these areas are improving. Employment rates, income and school results are generally rising.[6]
Vulnerable areas have a low participation in election, where for instance in the Gårdsten district in Gothenburg only a third voted in the 2014 election. Journalists who visited Gårdsten to interview locals on why they didn't vote struggled to complete their task as many locals they encountered spoke neither Swedish nor English.[11]
According to Japanese economist Takaaki Mitsuhashi, foreigners primarily from Africa and the Middle East have settled in districts which they then proceeded to take over. Having visited vulnerable area Husby, he described it as "whatever it was, it wasn't Sweden".[12]
By 2018 gang violence, which had long been a feature of vulnerable areas, had begun to spill out into the wider society where hospital staff reported armed confrontations in emergency rooms and school authorities reported that threats and weapons having become commonplace.[13]
Vulnerable area
An area in the vulnerable category is characterised by a low socioeconomic status and where criminals have a negative impact on society and public institutions. Criminals may use direct threats and blackmail or indirect methods such as public displays of violence which place bystanders at risk of injury or narcotics openly traded in public spaces. The effect of their activities is that inhabitants experience lower levels of security which may make them less willing to participate or witness in judicial proceedings against criminals.[14]
Especially vulnerable area
An area in this category is characterised by inhabitants having a potential threat from criminals in the area which has led to an overall disinclination to participate in judicial proceedings against criminals. In especially vulnerable areas there are systematic threats and violence against witnesses and plaintiffs. These circumstances make it very difficult or impossible for police organisations to complete their mission.[14] In December 2015 these areas numbered 15.[7] In June 2017 these areas numbered 23 as some areas were reclassified primarily due to more refined information, not that the situation changed.[5][15]
An especially vulnerable area may to a certain extent also experience[14]
- Parallel society structures exercising their own form of justice and control[3]
- Extremism such as systematic violations of freedom of religion or fundamentalism which circumscribe rights and freedoms of the population. According to Magnus Ranstorp in 2017, salafi jihadism is present in some of these areas.[16] In the especially vulnerable areas there are individuals among the radical Islamic community which contribute to recruitment and financing of Islamic terrorism. These individuals have access to youth via lectures, study groups or as the imam. Some mosques located in or close to these areas may be a contributing factor to radicalisation.[17]
- inhabitants travelling to conflict area to participate in combat
- a high concentration of criminals.
Employment levels in February 2017 was about 47%.[9] Many inhabitants are immigrants or children of immigrants,[9] in this category the share of immigrants in the district is around 50-60%.[18]
In its 2017, police stated that welfare fraud was prevalent in these areas, where benefits administered by Swedish Public Employment Service and the Swedish Social Insurance Agency were targeted.[19] Police identified that resident registry figures were manipulated, for instance 2% of all apartments in Rinkeby have between 10-30 persons registered as residents, which leads to an inflated number people receiving welfare benefits.[19]
Education level in especially vulnerable areas
Education levels are lower than the general population in these areas, where 40% of the population has not completed primary education.[9][20] According to BRÅ statistics, persons with only primary education (Swedish: förgymnasial utbildning) are 5.7 times more likely to be registered for crime compared to persons with post secondary education (Swedish: eftergymnasial utbildning) [20] On average in 2017, less than half of 15-year-olds in Gothenburg especially vulnerable areas qualified for secondary education. In district Bergsjön, 69.8% of 15-year-olds of Bergsjöskolan left primary education without achieving grades in numeracy and literacy to enter secondary education, the number being 67.3% for the Sjumilaskolan school of Biskopsgården district in Gothenburg compared to the national average of 17.5%.[21] The results were lower compared to five years earlier and interpreted as a worsening trend by researcher Anders Trumberg at Örebro university.[21]
Risk area
A risk area fulfills all criteria for a vulnerable area but do not qualify in all the critera for an especially vulnerable area.[14] In December 2015 these areas numbered 6.[7]
Districts
According to the national operations section (sv: Nationella operativa avdelningen) the districts and their classification are:[22][23]
| Town/City | District | Vulnerable area | Risk area | Especially vulnerable area |
| Borås | Hässleholmen/Hulta | 2016 | 2017 | |
| Norrby | 2017 | |||
| Borlänge | Tjärna Ängar | 2016-2017 | ||
| Botkyrka | Alby/Fittja | 2016 | 2017 | |
| Hallunda/Norsborg | 2016-2017 | |||
| Eskilstuna | Fröslunda | 2016-2017 | ||
| Lagersberg | 2016-2017 | |||
| Skiftinge | 2017 | |||
| Falkenberg | Falkagård | 2016 | ||
| Göteborg | Hisings Backa | 2016-2017 | ||
| Rannebergen | 2016-2017 | |||
| Biskopsgården | 2016-2017 | |||
| Bergsjön | 2016-2017 | |||
| Gårdsten | 2016-2017 | |||
| Hammarkullen | 2016-2017 | |||
| Hjällbo | 2016-2017 | |||
| Lövgärdet | 2016-2017 | |||
| Tynnered/Grevgården/Opaltorget | 2016 | 2017 | ||
| Halmstad | Andersberg | 2016-2017 | ||
| Haninge | Brandbergen | 2016-2017 | ||
| Jordbro | 2017 | |||
| Helsingborg | Adolfsberg/Dalhem/Drottninghög | 2016-2017 | ||
| Söder | 2017 | |||
| Huddinge | Skogås | 2016-2017 | ||
| Vårby | 2017 | |||
| Järfälla | Sångvägen | 2016-2017 | ||
| Termovägen | 2016-2017 | |||
| Jönköping | Råslätt | 2016-2017 | ||
| Kristianstad | Charlottesborg | 2016-2017 | ||
| Gamlegården | 2016-2017 | |||
| Landskrona | Koppargården/Karlslund | 2016 | 2017 | |
| Linköping | Skäggetorp | 2016-2017 | ||
| Malmö | Holma/Kroksbäck/Bellevue | 2016 | 2017 | |
| Nydala/Hermodsdal/Lindängen | 2017 | |||
| Rosengård south of Amiralsgatan | 2016-2017 | |||
| Södra Sofielund (Seved) | 2016-2017 | |||
| Norrköping | Hageby | 2016-2017 | ||
| Klockaretorpet | 2017 | |||
| Navestad | 2017 | |||
| Sollentuna | Edsberg | 2016-2017 | ||
| Tureberg | 2016-2017 | |||
| Stockholm | Bredäng | 2016-2017 | ||
| Hagsätra/Rågsved | 2016-2017 | |||
| Hässelby/Vällingby | 2016-2017 | |||
| Älvsjö/Solberga | 2016-2017 | |||
| Östberga | 2016-2017 | |||
| Rinkeby/Tensta | 2016-2017 | |||
| Husby | 2016-2017 | |||
| Sundbyberg | Rissne/Hallonbergen | 2016-2017 | ||
| Södertälje | Fornhöjden | 2016-2017 | ||
| Hovsjö | 2016-2017 | |||
| Ronna/Geneta/Lina | 2016-2017 | |||
| Trollhättan | Kronogården | 2016-2017 | ||
| Upplands Väsby | Finnsta | 2016-2017 | ||
| Smedby | 2016-2017 | |||
| Uppsala | Gottsunda/Valsätra | 2016 | ||
| Gottsunda | 2017 | |||
| Västerås | Bäckby | 2016-2017 | ||
| Växjö | Araby | 2016-2017 | ||
| Örebro | Oxhagen/Varberga | 2016-2017 | ||
| Vivalla | 2016-2017 | |||
See also
- Sensitive urban zone - a term for similar areas in France
- No-go area
- Organized crime in Sweden
- Law enforcement in Sweden
- Welfare in Sweden
References
- ↑ Radio, Sveriges. "Police add eight new "especially vulnerable" areas in Sweden - Sweden's "particularly vulnerable areas" - Radio Sweden". Retrieved 2017-10-18.
- ↑ "Swedish police name dozens of "vulnerable areas"—but are they "no-go zones"?". Newsweek. 2017-06-21. Retrieved 2017-10-18.
- 1 2 3 NRK. "Svensk politi: – Vi er i ferd med å miste kontrollen". NRK (in Norwegian). Retrieved 2017-10-18.
- ↑ Utsatta områden - sociala risker, kollektiv förmåga och oönskade händelser. Police in Sweden - Nationella Operativa Avdelningen - December 2015. p. 4.
- 1 2 Polisen. "Polisens rapport om utsatta områden". Polisen.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 2017-10-18.
Antalet områden som bedöms som särskilt utsatta är fler i den här rapporten jämfört med den förra rapporten. – Det beror främst på att vi nu har en fördjupad kunskap om problematiken i dessa områden, snarare än att läget har försämrats sedan förra året, säger Linda Staaf, underrättelsechef på nationella operativa avdelningen som ansvarar för att sammanställa rapporten.
- 1 2 "Läget bättre i utsatta områden". SVT.
Fler jobbar, inkomsterna är högre, bidragen lägre och färre är helt utanför systemen. /../ Sedan 1997 har exempelvis andelen förvärvsarbetande bland de utrikes födda i stadsdelen Rinkeby ökat från 29 procent till 49 procent 2015. Andelen öppet arbetslösa har samtidigt gått ner, från 18 procent till 15 procent.
- 1 2 3 Utsatta områden - sociala risker, kollektiv förmåga och oönskade händelser (PDF). Police in Sweden - Nationella Operativa Avdelningen - December 2015. p. 21. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 Aug 2016.
- ↑ Utsatta områden - sociala risker, kollektiv förmåga och oönskade händelser (PDF). Police in Sweden - Nationella Operativa Avdelningen - December 2015. pp. 13–14. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 Aug 2016.
- 1 2 3 4 "Svensk politi skulle ta tilbake kontrollen over lovløse områder. To år senere er situasjonen blitt enda verre". Aftenposten. Retrieved 2017-10-19.
- ↑ Radio, Sveriges. "Terrorresenärer ofta från utsatta områden - Nyheter (Ekot)". Retrieved 2017-10-24.
- ↑ "Här struntar varannan i valet". Hem & Hyra (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 23 June 2018. Retrieved 2018-06-23.
- ↑ "Japan välkomnar fler utländska arbetare, men kritiker nämner Sverige som varnande exempel: "Utlänningarna är välkomna, men jag vet inte om de passar så bra att stå i butiker"". Yle. 12 August 2018. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
- ↑ Anderson, Ellen Barry and Christina. "Hand Grenades and Gang Violence Rattle Sweden's Middle Class". Retrieved 2018-08-15.
- 1 2 3 4 Utsatta områden - sociala risker, kollektiv förmåga och oönskade händelser (PDF). Police in Sweden - Nationella Operativa Avdelningen - December 2015. p. 13. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 Aug 2016.
- ↑ Radio, Sveriges. "Voices from a new "vulnerable area" - Radio Sweden". Retrieved 2017-10-19.
- ↑ Radio, Sveriges. ""De farligaste terrorresenärerna är kvar" - Nyheter (Ekot)". Retrieved 2017-10-24.
- ↑ Myndighetsgemensam lägesbild om organiserad brottslighet 2018-2019 / Dnr:A495.196/2017 (PDF). Stockholm: Nationella underrättelsecentret / Polismyndigheten. 2017. p. 13.
Enligt Polismyndigheten har en stor del av terrorresenärerna koppling till utsatta områden. I de särskilt utsatta områdena finns ett antal personer inom den radikala islamistiska miljön. Dessa bidrar till rekrytering och finansiering av terrorism. Vissa av personerna har kontakt med ungdomar genom till exempel föreläsningar, studiecirklar eller som imam. Vissa moskéer, som ligger i eller i närheten av utsatta områden, är med stor sannolikhet en viktig faktor vad gäller radikalisering.
External link in|publisher=(help) - ↑ Myndighetsgemensam lägesbild om organiserad brottslighet 2018-2019 / Dnr:A495.196/2017 (PDF). Stockholm: Nationella underrättelsecentret / Polismyndigheten. 2017. p. 20.
Diagram 15
External link in|publisher=(help) - 1 2 Myndighetsgemensam lägesbild om organiserad brottslighet 2018-2019 / Dnr:A495.196/2017 (PDF). Stockholm: Nationella underrättelsecentret / Polismyndigheten. 2017. pp. 13–14, Diagram 4.
Uppgifter gör gällande att det i de särskilt utsatta områdena förekommer ett otillbörligt utnyttjande av välfärdssystemet. Det gäller förmåner som administreras av såväl Försäkringskassan som Arbetsförmedlingen. Ett exempel är att folkbokföringsuppgifter manipuleras för att man ska kunna tillskansa sig ersättning som man inte har rätt till.
External link in|publisher=(help) - 1 2 "Myndighetsgemensam lägesbild om organiserad brottslighet 2018-2019 / Dnr:A495.196/2017" (PDF). Swedish Police Authority. p. 18. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 July 2018.
Under hösten 2015 skedde en stor ökning av antalet asylsökande till Sverige. Polismyndigheten bedömer att majoritetio av de asylsökande hade tagit sig till Sverige med hjälp av människosmugglare. Smugglingspaketen till Sverige bedöms kostar flera hundra tusen kronor per person.[...] Utnyttjande av personer i beroendeställningUnder hösten 2015 skedde en stor ökning av antalet asyl-sökande till Sverige. Asylsökande befinner sig ofta i en utsattsituation. De har bristande språkkunskaper och kännedomom hur det svenska samhället fungerar, vilket kan utnyttjas i brottsligt syfte. Polisen bedömer att majoriteten av de som söker asyl i Sverige bedöms ha tagit sig hit med hjälp av människosmugglare. Enligt polisen rör det sig i stort sett uteslutande om landsmän som smugglar landsmän. Många som har betalat för att ta sig till Sverige har betydande skulder till människosmugglarna och dessa skulder måste betalas av på något sätt
- 1 2 "Över hälften klarar inte skolan i utsatta områden". Göteborgs-Posten (in Swedish). Retrieved 2018-06-09.
- ↑ Utsatta områden - sociala risker, kollektiv förmåga och oönskade händelser (PDF). Police in Sweden - Nationella Operativa Avdelningen - December 2015. p. 29. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 Aug 2016.
- ↑ Utsatta områden - Social ordning, kriminell struktur och utmaningar för polisen / Dnr HD 44/14A203.023/2016 (PDF). Police in Sweden - Nationella operativa avdelningen - Underrättelseenheten. June 2017. p. 41. Retrieved 22 October 2017.