The Swedish government has announced that it wants to create temporary zones where police will have discretion to conduct house or body searches, and searches on minors, to stop the gang violence plaguing the country.

Sweden is facing a gang war, which reached an unprecedented level at the end of 2023 with a record number of shootings. It is the European country where most people are killed by firearms, the government says.

Within demarcated areas, a police officer will be able to search persons and vehicles so as to find weapons and other dangerous objects and, in turn, prevent crimes from being committed, Swedish Justice Minister Gunnar Strömer announced during a press conference.

Searches on children will also be allowed.

The government is counting on the rapid approval of the bill by the Parliament, so that it will come into force on March 28th. Searches in these zones will be carried out at the discretion of the officers, without the need to report a suspicion beforehand or have an arrest warrant.

Searches will be carried out on the basis of a risk profile worked out by the police and intelligence services, if a person dresses in a certain way or behaves strangely for example, says Stromer.

According to policing spokesman Martin Mellin of the Liberal party (a member of the governing coalition), gang members are dressed in a certain way, allowing us to identify them.

The specific measure is inspired by a similar law that has been in place for years in Denmark.

Prime Minister Ulf Kristerson, head of the Moderates, was the architect, at the end of the 2022 parliamentary elections, of an unprecedented rapprochement with the far right, which supports him. In addition to immigration issues, the party wants to take very serious action on the issue of crime and, more specifically, the fight against gang violence.

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