The escalating wave of violence with gang fights, explosions and shootings is naturally high on the agenda of the news media. In various opinion polls, voters indicate law and order as one of the most important social issues. The police authority with a multi-billion dollar budget and more than 30,000 employees has a central function for safety and security in our society.
Nevertheless, we see a pattern where the police leadership increasingly makes itself unavailable to the media and declines interviews on matters of public importance, especially when the issues are uncomfortable for the police leadership. This at the same time as broad criticism of the police came from authorities, researchers and employees.
During the two months SVT has so far waited for an interview regarding, among other things, the Löfving case, more questions have appeared that rightfully require answers. At the end of March came the latest in the ranks of the National Audit Office’s critical reports on the police’s activities. The report concerned the police’s so-called special events, which were judged to “do more harm than good”.
A comment from top police management should have been obvious. Instead, SVT’s request for an interview was turned down. The press department delivered a written response in general terms. On the same day, Anders Thornberg held a press conference on another matter. He ducked for all questions that concerned other than the topic of the press conference, including questions about the National Audit Office’s criticism.
The pattern is recognizable from SVT’s review on February 15 of the police budget versus the crime investigation. Despite increased multibillion-dollar grants and more and more police officers – last year there were more than 20,000 – the crime investigation is stumbling. The police management declined an interview and instead dismissed the criticism in an email from the press service.
Last autumn, the police management started a drive with recurring press meetings with journalists about themes not announced in advance. We note that the press meetings stopped not long before Expressen’s disclosure of irregularities within the top police leadership. The press meetings have not resumed since then.
There are a number of questions that deserve answers from the national police chief, and that deserve space for arguments and explanations from the police leadership. These are some of them we want to ask:
How does the national police chief view the criticism that arose after the press conference about the internal investigation surrounding Löfving, for example, was it right that details that could be perceived as private and offensive were released?
SVT has information that Thornberg knew about the alleged relationship between Mats Löfving and fellow manager Linda Staaf much earlier than he himself stated. Is it true? Could the national police chief have gone to the bottom of the story earlier?
Labor law expert Tommy Iseskog believes that the police management’s handling of the so-called Löfving case violated the work environment law – how does Anders Thornberg comment on that?
What is the national police chief’s comment on SVT’s review which shows that increased funding and more police officers did not lead to higher crime detection?
The National Audit Office’s report on the police’s so-called special events claims that they do more harm than good – what is the answer to that conclusion?
According to information, on Saturday the national police chief will give a long-scheduled interview with Ekot’s Saturday interview. SVT will continue to request an interview on important issues with the national police chief Anders Thornberg. Two months of silence will not do.
