Sweden's need for new police to provide security amid a rising tide of refugee-related law enforcement responsibilities is so acute that the country's National Police Commissioner Dan Eliasson has given the green light to police districts to hire more staff, even though there is no money for it in the budget.
Lately, the police in Sweden have been struggling to keep abreast of migrant-related chaos and the growing terrorist threat as a result of the large influx of Muslims from the Middle East and Northern Africa. Despite the media's efforts to whitewash the immigration problem and portray it as "largely positive" for the country's economy as well as a means of investing in the future, the inflow of immigrants from the third world has contributed to a marked increase in violent crime notably sexual assault. A significant number of asylum seekers are accused of having committed violent crimes, which require more police resources to investigate.
According to Sweden's leading newspaper Dagens Nyheter, 832 policemen decided to quit last year alone, citing the current routine as too demanding. Many believe that the respect formerly associated with police work no longer exists, due to new "dirty work," such as guarding refugee accommodations across the country.
Earlier this year, Anders Karlsson, an inspector from the Gothenburg police force, expressed scathing criticism of Dan Eliasson's efforts as police chef, following the murder of social worker Alexandra Mezher, who had been stabbed in the back as she had tried to break up a fight between two adolescent asylum-seekers at a migrant center in Molndal.
In a polemic article in Expressen, Karlsson argued, among other things, that Eliasson "should know better and apologize."
"You have destroyed so much of the police through your negligence and ignorance. You have long since killed any job satisfaction and pride, which are so important for a functioning police force. You have destroyed properly functioning structures within the police and instead created complete chaos for all," wrote Karlsson.
"I have been anticipating a corresponding parliamentary decision and have already requested the regions to hire more people, even if they do not have the money right now," Eliasson told the Swedish Radio.
Swedish police expect they will need to hire at least 2,000 police officers and 1,300 civilian employees in the coming years in order to cope with their tasks and ensure safety and security.
