2023-05-032022/23:JuU10 · p.9JuUJustice
Police placement etc.
Geographic placement of police officers and local presence across the country
What's at stake: The decision affects how quickly and to what extent rural areas and vulnerable areas get a visible, locally rooted police presence, which in turn affects safety and the ability to build relationships that make it easier to solve crime in those places.
Case texts and AI reasoning are AI-translated from the Swedish originals; the Swedish text is authoritative.
What the vote decides
The question is whether parliament should call on the government to increase police presence in vulnerable areas and rural areas through locally rooted work, or whether it should be left to the Police Authority itself to decide how officers are deployed geographically.
Yes Yes — the committee proposal
The committee stresses that it is important to have a locally rooted, present and visible police force across the whole country, but considers that it should be up to the Police Authority to decide in detail how officers are deployed geographically. Since an earlier statement on police presence in the country has not yet been acted on, the committee considers there is no reason for parliament to make a further such statement, and rejects the motions.
No No — the reservations
Reservation 12 (S)
The reservation (S) calls for the government to ensure that the police work more locally and that police presence increases in both vulnerable areas and rural areas, with municipal and area police officers given good conditions to carry out crime-prevention work. The reasoning is that building relationships with the people in one's own area makes it easier to solve crimes and address feelings of insecurity.
Summarised from the committee report. Party labels in the summary come from the report, not from the vote.
What do the votes mean here?
Yes The committee proposal: rejecting the motions (keeping things as they are).
No Backing the counter-proposal: reservation 12 by S.
Abstain The party marks a position of its own that is not one of the two final alternatives.
The decision would have gone the other way
Explicit commitments that contradicted the vote: KDKristdemokraterna, LLiberalerna, MModeraterna, MPMiljöpartiet
Ja 124–94Nej 20–198
Counterfactual: the parties above are moved to the position their own documents explicitly point at, carrying their whole contingent present. Every other party keeps its real figures, including dissenters and absentees.
How the AI parties would have voted
For each party: what its own plan – election manifesto and party programme – argues for in this case, next to how the party actually voted. The AI can only answer Yes or No; a party can also abstain.
| AI | Vote | Confidence | Evidence | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| V | No | Yes 20/0/0/4 | differs | confidence: high | not addressed |
| S | No | No 0/94/0/13 | match | confidence: high | explicit |
| MP | No | Yes 14/0/0/4 | differsagainst own programme | confidence: high | explicit |
| C | No | Abstain 0/0/21/3 | differs | confidence: high | explicit |
| L | No | Yes 14/0/0/2 | differsagainst own programme | confidence: high | explicit |
| KD | No | Yes 16/0/0/3 | differsagainst own programme | confidence: high | explicit |
| M | No | Yes 60/0/0/8 | differsagainst own programme | confidence: high | explicit |
| SD | No | Abstain 0/0/63/9 | differs | confidence: high | explicit |
Committee proposal
The Riksdag rejects the motions 2022/23:107 by Saila Quicklund (M), 2022/23:769 by Anna af Sillén (M), 2022/23:844 by Helena Lindahl and Daniel Bäckström (both C), 2022/23:863 by Ulrika Liljeberg et al. (C) point 13, 2022/23:954 by Richard Jomshof et al. (SD) point 1, 2022/23:1179 by Teresa Carvalho et al. (S), 2022/23:1395 by Mathias Bengtsson (KD), 2022/23:1672 by Annie Lööf et al. (C) point 39 and 2022/23:2139 by Ardalan Shekarabi et al. (S) points 10 and 13.
Original (Swedish)
Riksdagen avslår motionerna 2022/23:107 av Saila Quicklund (M), 2022/23:769 av Anna af Sillén (M), 2022/23:844 av Helena Lindahl och Daniel Bäckström (båda C), 2022/23:863 av Ulrika Liljeberg m.fl. (C) yrkande 13, 2022/23:954 av Richard Jomshof m.fl. (SD) yrkande 1, 2022/23:1179 av Teresa Carvalho m.fl. (S), 2022/23:1395 av Mathias Bengtsson (KD), 2022/23:1672 av Annie Lööf m.fl. (C) yrkande 39 och 2022/23:2139 av Ardalan Shekarabi m.fl. (S) yrkandena 10 och 13.
Riksdag decision: The Riksdag said no to approximately 190 proposals in motions from the general motion period in 2022 on police matters. The Riksdag refers, among other things, to ongoing investigation and preparation work. The motions deal, for example, with a more efficient police, the police's internal organization, the police's work environment, prioritization of different types of crime, and the police's cooperation with authorities and other actors.
Counter-proposals
- The counter-proposal wants criminal policy to be based on efficiency and legal security and that police have access to specialized expertise. (S) — Reservation 12
Plan vs actual vote
Every party, in chamber order: what its own plan pointed to, how it voted, and the reasoning behind both. Highlighted rows are where the two differ — but a vote that follows the plan is a result too, so the reasoning is there for every party.
The plan requires a functioning and present legal system with more patrolling police and establishes that people in poor and violence-affected areas feel that society has abandoned them.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan requires a functioning and present legal system with more patrolling police and establishes that people in poor and violence-affected areas feel that society has abandoned them. Society's service shall exist everywhere, and confidence in police requires changes in working methods. Increased local police presence in disadvantaged areas and sparsely populated regions with a crime-prevention focus thus lies in line with the plan.
Original (Swedish)
Planen kräver ett fungerande och närvarande rättssystem med fler patrullerande poliser och konstaterar att människor i fattiga och våldsutsatta områden känner att samhället övergett dem. Samhällets service ska finnas överallt, och tilltron till polisen kräver förändringar i arbetssättet. Ökad lokal polisiär närvaro i utsatta områden och glesbygd med brottsförebyggande inriktning ligger därmed i linje med planen.
- present legal systemdecisive»Kriminaliteten behöver mötas både med ett fungerande och närvarande rättssystem som fler patrullerande poliser, arbete mot narkotikahandel, kamp mot tillgången till illegala skjutvapen och ett effektivt avhopparprogram« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Crime needs to be met both with a functioning and present legal system with more patrolling police, work against drug trafficking, fight access to illegal firearms and an effective exit programme”
- societal presence in disadvantaged areas»De av oss som bor i dessa områden är särskilt utsatta för våld och det finns en uppgivenhet över att samhället övergivit området.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Those of us who live in these areas are particularly exposed to violence and there is a resignation that society has abandoned the area.”
- service throughout the country»Välfärden måste vara till för alla och finnas överallt.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Welfare must be for everyone and exist everywhere.”
- changed police work»Att återupprätta tilltron till polisen kräver stora förändringar av hur polisen arbetar.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Restoring confidence in police requires major changes in how police work.”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The election manifesto explicitly demands significantly more police officers on streets and squares and that police presence is secured and strengthened across the country, in response to criminal gangs terrorizing entire residential areas.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The election manifesto explicitly demands significantly more police officers on streets and squares and that police presence is secured and strengthened across the country, in response to criminal gangs terrorizing entire residential areas. The plan also demands state presence across the country and local cooperation between police, school and social services. The demand for more local police work with municipal and neighbourhood police in vulnerable areas and rural areas is thus the plan's own line.
Original (Swedish)
Valmanifestet kräver uttryckligen kraftigt fler poliser på gator och torg och att polisnärvaron säkras och stärks i hela landet, som svar på att kriminella gäng sätter hela bostadsområden i skräck. Planen kräver också statlig närvaro i hela landet och lokal samverkan mellan polis, skola och socialtjänst. Kravet på mer lokalt polisarbete med kommun- och områdespoliser i utsatta områden och glesbygd är därmed planens egen linje.
- strengthened police presence across the countrydecisive»Kraftigt öka antalet poliser på våra gator och torg. Vi vill säkra och stärka polisnärvaron i hela landet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Significantly increase the number of police officers on our streets and squares. We want to secure and strengthen police presence across the country.”
- security in vulnerable areas»Kriminella gäng sätter hela bostadsområden i skräck med skjutningar och narkotikaförsäljning på öppen gata.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Criminal gangs terrorize entire residential areas with shootings and open-street drug sales.”
- local cooperation against crime»Det behövs mer samarbete mellan polis, elevhälsa, socialtjänst och skola.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“More cooperation is needed between police, student health services, social services and school.”
- state presence in rural areas»Staten ska finnas närvarande i hela landet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The state shall be present across the country.”
The plan builds its preventive work on area police in close cooperation with school and social services and wants to see more police to counter parallel societies.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan builds its preventive work on area police in close cooperation with school and social services and wants to see more police to counter parallel societies. It also states that public functions like the police shall be available throughout the country. The counter-proposal's demand for more local police work and increased presence in disadvantaged areas and sparsely populated regions is therefore the plan's own line.
Original (Swedish)
Planen bygger sitt förebyggande arbete på områdespoliser i nära samverkan med skola och socialtjänst och vill se fler poliser för att motverka parallellsamhällen. Den slår också fast att samhällsfunktioner som polisen ska finnas tillgängliga över hela landet. Motförslagets krav på mer lokalt polisarbete och ökad närvaro i utsatta områden och glesbygd är därmed planens egen linje.
- area police in local workdecisive»lätta på sekretessen mellan områdespoliser, skola, socialtjänst och stärka samarbetet med civilsamhälle så att inga barn faller mellan stolarna i det förebyggande arbetet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“ease secrecy between area police officers, school, social services and strengthen cooperation with civil society so that no child falls through the cracks in preventive work.”
- police available throughout the country»ska vara till för Sveriges alla invånare och finnas tillgängliga över hela landet.« (party programme ↗)“shall be for all Sweden's inhabitants and be available throughout the country.”
- more police against parallel societies»se fler och bättre betalda poliser för att bekämpa den organiserade brottsligheten och för att motverka parallellsamhällen.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“see more and better-paid police to combat organized crime and to counter parallel societies.”
- efforts in disadvantaged areas»storsatsa på det förebyggande arbetet i socioekonomiskt eftersatta områden.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“make a major investment in preventive work in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas.”
The stance rests on the quoted commitment in the party's own documents; the actual vote deviated. Click the quote to verify it in the document.
The plan explicitly requires more police present in everyday life, both in vulnerable areas and in rural areas, increased police density and the reopening of closed police stations.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan explicitly requires more police present in everyday life, both in vulnerable areas and in rural areas, increased police density and the reopening of closed police stations. The counter-proposal's demand for more local police work with municipal and area police is therefore the plan's own line. The plan also establishes that everyone should have safe police presence regardless of where they live.
Original (Swedish)
Planen kräver uttryckligen fler poliser närvarande i vardagen, både i utsatta områden och på landsbygden, ökad polistäthet och att nedlagda polisstationer öppnas på nytt. Motförslagets krav på mer lokalt polisarbete med kommun- och områdespoliser är därmed planens egen linje. Planen slår också fast att alla ska ha en trygg polisnärvaro oavsett var de bor.
- local police presencedecisive»Fler poliser ska finnas närvarande i vardagen, både i utsatta områden och på landsbygden. Vi vill öka polistätheten till EU-snittet och öppna nedlagda polisstationer på nytt.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“More police should be present in everyday life, both in vulnerable areas and in rural areas. We want to increase police density to EU average and reopen closed police stations.”
- police in suburbs and sparsely populated areas»Polisen ska finnas i både förort och landsbygd, och nedstängda polisstationer behöver öppnas upp igen.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Police should be present in both suburbs and rural areas, and closed police stations need to be reopened.”
- safety in rural areas»Ingen ska känna sig otrygg för att polisen är många mil bort; det är dags att öppna upp landsbygdens polisstationer på nytt.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“No one should feel unsafe because police are many miles away; it is time to reopen rural police stations.”
- safe police presence for all»Alla ska ha en trygg polisnärvaro, en likvärdig skola och en trygg och nära vård och omsorg — oavsett var de bor.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Everyone should have safe police presence, an equivalent school and safe and nearby care and support — regardless of where they live.”
The stance rests on the quoted commitment in the party's own documents; the actual vote deviated. Click the quote to verify it in the document.
The plan explicitly requires that the police authority shall have high local presence throughout the country and that the police shall be able to maintain law and order in every neighborhood, with more police officers to reach European police density.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan explicitly requires that the police authority shall have high local presence throughout the country and that the police shall be able to maintain law and order in every neighborhood, with more police officers to reach European police density. The counter-proposal's requirement for more local police work with municipal and neighborhood police in vulnerable areas and rural areas follows directly from these commitments. The plan also sees state presence throughout the country as its own goal.
Original (Swedish)
Planen kräver uttryckligen att polismyndigheten ska ha hög lokal närvaro i hela landet och att polisen ska kunna upprätthålla lag och ordning i varje kvarter, med fler poliser för att nå europeisk polistäthet. Motförslagets krav på mer lokalt polisarbete med kommun- och områdespoliser i utsatta områden och glesbygd följer direkt av dessa åtaganden. Planen ser också statlig närvaro i hela landet som ett eget mål.
- local police presence throughout the countrydecisive»Den nationella polismyndigheten ska ha hög lokal närvaro i hela landet.« (party programme ↗)“The national police authority shall have high local presence throughout the country.”
- safety in every neighborhood»Nu måste polisen få verktygen att överallt upprätthålla lag och ordning, så att alla kan känna sig trygga i sina kvarter var de än bor.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Now the police must get the tools to maintain law and order everywhere, so that everyone can feel safe in their neighborhoods wherever they live.”
- more police officers»Därför vill vi på sikt nå 33 000 poliser så att polistätheten blir minst lika hög som i övriga Europa.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Therefore, in the long term, we want to reach 33,000 police officers so that police density becomes at least as high as in the rest of Europe.”
- state presence throughout the country»statliga myndigheter ska finnas närvarande i alla delar av Sverige« (2022 manifesto ↗)“state authorities shall be present in all parts of Sweden”
The stance rests on the quoted commitment in the party's own documents; the actual vote deviated. Click the quote to verify it in the document.
The election manifesto explicitly promises more police with local presence throughout the country, and the party programme highlights a locally anchored justice system and close and trusting contacts between police and the public as the foundation for good police work.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The election manifesto explicitly promises more police with local presence throughout the country, and the party programme highlights a locally anchored justice system and close and trusting contacts between police and the public as the foundation for good police work. The counter-proposal's requirement for municipal and district police with increased presence in disadvantaged areas and sparsely populated areas is precisely the direction the plan indicates. The plan also requires more police, which makes increased local presence possible.
Original (Swedish)
Valmanifestet lovar uttryckligen fler poliser med lokal närvaro i hela landet, och partiprogrammet framhåller ett lokalt förankrat rättsväsende samt nära och förtroendefulla kontakter mellan polis och allmänhet som grunden för bra polisarbete. Motförslagets krav på kommun- och områdespoliser med ökad närvaro i utsatta områden och glesbygd är precis den inriktning planen anger. Planen kräver dessutom fler poliser, vilket möjliggör ökad lokal närvaro.
- local police presence throughout the countrydecisive»Fler poliser med lokal närvaro, utbyggd primärvård, enklare starta lokal läkarmottagning och inrätta fler statliga servicekontor.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“More police with local presence, expanded primary health care, easier to start local doctor's surgery and establish more government service offices.”
- locally anchored justice system»Det är också viktigt med ett lokalt förankrat« (party programme ↗)“It is also important with a locally anchored”
- close contact police and public»Nära och förtroendefulla kontakter« (party programme ↗)“Close and trusting contacts”
- more police»Fler poliser och höjda polislöner.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“More police and raised police salaries.”
The stance rests on the quoted commitment in the party's own documents; the actual vote deviated. Click the quote to verify it in the document.
The election manifesto sets a police goal of 10,000 more police by 2028 with explicit focus on more police in uniform service, and promises that the police shall come when you call regardless of where you live.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The election manifesto sets a police goal of 10,000 more police by 2028 with explicit focus on more police in uniform service, and promises that the police shall come when you call regardless of where you live. The plan describes the problems of rural areas with individual patrols over areas as large as Denmark and also includes the largest crime prevention reform package in modern times. The counter-proposal's demand for increased local police presence in vulnerable areas and rural areas thus follows directly from the plan.
Original (Swedish)
Valmanifestet sätter ett polismål om 10 000 fler poliser till 2028 med uttryckligt fokus på fler poliser i yttre tjänst, och lovar att polisen ska komma när man ringer oavsett var man bor. Planen beskriver glesbygdens problem med enstaka patruller på ytor lika stora som Danmark och rymmer dessutom det största brottsförebyggande reformpaketet i modern tid. Motförslagets krav på ökad lokal polisnärvaro i utsatta områden och glesbygd följer därmed direkt av planen.
- more police in uniform servicedecisive»Arbeta efter målet om 10 000 fler poliser till år 2028 med fokus på fler poliser i yttre tjänst« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Work towards the goal of 10,000 more police by 2028 with focus on more police in uniform service”
- police presence throughout the country»liksom vetskapen om att polisen kommer när du ringer oavsett var du bor« (2022 manifesto ↗)“as well as the knowledge that the police will come when you call regardless of where you live”
- crime prevention reform package»Moderaterna vill därför genomföra det största brottsförebyggande reformpaketet i modern tid.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The Moderate Party therefore wants to implement the largest crime prevention reform package in modern times.”
- police shortage in rural areas»I vissa delar av landet finns ibland bara en polispatrull på en yta lika stor som Danmark.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“In some parts of the country there are sometimes only one police patrol over an area as large as Denmark.”
The stance rests on the quoted commitment in the party's own documents; the actual vote deviated. Click the quote to verify it in the document.
The plan establishes that police should be present close by in all of Sweden and be visible and accessible throughout the country and around the clock, and that safety should increase in all residential areas.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan establishes that police should be present close by in all of Sweden and be visible and accessible throughout the country and around the clock, and that safety should increase in all residential areas. The counter-proposal's demand for more local police work and increased presence in vulnerable areas and the sparsely populated countryside is precisely this commitment. The plan moreover wants to focus the police force solely on combating crime and being close to citizens, with resources and powers to solve the task. The committee's reasons concern that geographic placement should be decided by the police themselves and an earlier statement not yet implemented, which the plan does not comment on.
Original (Swedish)
Planen slår fast att polisen ska finnas nära i hela Sverige och vara synlig och tillgänglig i hela landet och dygnet runt, samt att tryggheten ska öka i alla bostadsområden. Motförslagets krav på mer lokalt polisarbete och ökad närvaro i utsatta områden och glesbygd är just detta åtagande. Planen vill dessutom renodla polismyndigheten till att bekämpa brottsligheten och finnas nära medborgarna, med resurser och befogenheter att lösa uppgiften. Utskottets skäl handlar om att den geografiska placeringen bör avgöras av polisen själv och om ett tidigare uttalande som ännu inte genomförts, vilket planen inte uttalar sig om.
- police nearby in all of Swedendecisive»Utgångspunkten bör vara att alla brott, även sådana som inte skapar rubriker, ska utredas och att polisen ska finnas nära i hela Sverige.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The starting point should be that all crimes, even those that do not make headlines, should be investigated and police should be present nearby in all of Sweden.”
- visible police nationwide»Polisen ska finnas synliga och tillgängliga i hela landet och på dygnets alla tider.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Police should be visible and accessible throughout the country and at all times of day.”
- safety in all residential areas»Öka tryggheten i hela Sverige och i alla bostadsområden« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Increase safety in all of Sweden and in all residential areas”
- necessary police resources»Polisen, gränsskyddet och de rättsvårdande myndigheterna måste tilldelas erforderliga resurser« (party programme ↗)“Police, border guard, and justice authorities must be allocated necessary resources”
The stance rests on the quoted commitment in the party's own documents; the actual vote deviated. Click the quote to verify it in the document.
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Sources and documents
- The committee report on riksdagen.se (2022/23:JuU10)
- Committee report full text (HA01JuU10)
- Per-MP voting data (API)
- Case status (API)
Documents under consideration
- Motion 2022/23:1003 — Sverigevänlig konsumentpolitik av Mikael Eskilandersson m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2022/23:1014 — Ett konkurrenskraftigt svenskt väginfrastruktursystem av Thomas Morell m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2022/23:1016 — En konkurrenskraftig svensk järnväg av Patrik Jönsson m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2022/23:107 — Polisnärvaro på landsbygden av Saila Quicklund (M)
- Motion 2022/23:1094 — Polisens karriärmöjligheter av Alexandra Anstrell och Maria Stockhaus (båda M)
- Motion 2022/23:1097 — Hårdare tag mot huliganism av Alexandra Anstrell (M)
- Motion 2022/23:1124 — En hållbar besöksnäring av Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist m.fl. (C)
- Motion 2022/23:1129 — Nationell djurskyddspolis av Richard Jomshof (SD)
- Motion 2022/23:1143 — Idrottspolitiska frågor av Angelika Bengtsson m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2022/23:1144 — Vargfrågor av Per Söderlund (SD)
- Motion 2022/23:1179 — Ökad polisiär närvaro av Teresa Carvalho m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2022/23:1184 — Ordningsvakter av Mattias Ottosson m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2022/23:1217 — Åtgärder med syfte att stoppa våldskulturen av Nooshi Dadgostar m.fl. (V)
- Motion 2022/23:1316 — Stärkning av polisens förebyggande arbete av Aylin Fazelian (S)
- Motion 2022/23:1395 — Ökad polisnärvaro på landsbygden av Mathias Bengtsson (KD)
- Motion 2022/23:1410 — Skärpta insatser mot bidragsfusk av Josefin Malmqvist (M)
- Motion 2022/23:1642 — Trafikpoliser av Martina Johansson och Mikael Larsson (båda C)
- Motion 2022/23:1672 — En levande landsbygd för Sveriges bästa av Annie Lööf m.fl. (C)
- Motion 2022/23:1673 — Jämställdhet för hållbar utveckling av Annie Lööf m.fl. (C)
- Motion 2022/23:1692 — Vidareutbildning av akademiker till polisyrket av Helena Gellerman (L)
Source: The Swedish Parliament