stockholm county police project on hate crimes stockholm county police detective inspector wenche...
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Stockholm County Police Project on Hate Crimes
Stockholm CountyPolice
Detective Inspector Wenche Déas-MoberghDetective Sandra Emthén
Project Goals
• Increased will to report hate crimes
• Increase the percentage of solved hate crimes.
• Increased knowledge and competence within Stockholm County Police regarding hate crime
• To increase the Stockholm County Police level of trust with Immigrants and within the LGBT-community
• Main focus should be cases involving younger suspects (age 15-25)
Stockholm CountyPolice
The Swedish Penal Code Chapter 29, §2 – Increase in severity of a punishment
As aggravating circumstances shall, when assessing the type and level of punishment, aside from the punishment that each type of crime stated below normally leads to, special consideration be taken if;
- The motive was to offend a person, a specific ethnicity or any other group of people because of race, skin colour, nationality or ethnic background, religious belief, sexual orientation or similar circumstance.
Stockholm CountyPolice
Most common types of crime in Stockholm City: • Insult, molestation, unlawful threats, criminal damage, unlawful
discrimination, assault, aggravated assault, xenophobia• 67 % related to xenophobia, 22 % related to sexual orientation, 11 %
miscellaneous (religion etc)
Most common arenas & typical cases• Public place, evening or night time. Often young perpetrators (15-20
years), the victim mainly between 20-35 years.• Internet/Telephone/Mobile phones; Threat text messages, Web pages,
threats left on answering machines, harassments via telephone. • Domestic environment; mainly neighbours• Schools; Bullying and harassments• Night life/Restaurants/Bars; Unprovoked violence as persons exits Gay
Clubs, unlawful discrimination of customers
Current Status Report 2008
Stockholm CountyPolice
The Special Group investigating Hate Crimes
• Five Criminal Investigators in total; one Project Leader, one Co-ordinator and three investigators
• All crimes, occurring in Stockholm City, related to Hate Crime shall be investigated by this Special Group (except for crimes that are to extensive for this small group to handle alone)
• Investigations led by a Prosecutor when there is a identified perpetrator or suspect with probable cause
• The Group can require support by Forensic Technicians when needed
• The Group serves additional hours on special occasions such as the Pride Festival, on Sweden’s National Day, repeated damaging of monuments/clubs etc.
Stockholm CountyPolice
Communication and Co-ordination
• Points of Contact at four different Police Stations within Stockholm City
• Giving lectures on Hate Crime in schools, for students as well as personnel
• Communicate and Co-ordinate with different groups, companies and organisations, also with different shops restaurants and pubs
Stockholm CountyPolice
Training
• All personnel within Criminal Investigations in Stockholm City including the personnel at County Communications Central and also the senior officers in patrolling duty are trained in initial steps and what to ask or look for
• When writing a report on a committed crime special consideration shall be taken relating to Hate Crime;- Any special circumstances at the scene of the crime?
• Questions to ask;- Why do you think the perpetrator did this to you?- Do you have any idea why you were targeted?
Stockholm CountyPolice
Project results
• All investigations relating to Hate Crime are gathered at one place – leading to increased efficiency.
• The will to report this type of crimes have increased.
• Increased trust with the public community
• Other parts of society are relating to this project, increasing the overall trust in the police force
• An increase in competence within the police force regarding Hate Crimes
• A change of attitude among the personnel working at Stockholm County Police
Stockholm CountyPolice
