In an attempt to curb gun violence in Sweden, the country’s government said that it would look at extending national security laws to give police more flexibility to spy on suspected gangs.
Over the past few decades, Sweden has gone from having one of the lowest rates of gun violence to having one of the highest in Europe.
Interior Minister Mikael Damberg explained to reporters, “We want to look at the possibility of giving the police authority another key tool for preventing new shootings…We will do everything in our power to fight these gangs.”
A new commission will be appointed by the government that will look into measures that include expanding secret and preventative surveillance of suspects, which is currently only allowed in cases related to the country’s security.
Sweden’s government has already increased the harshness of crimes, including weapons possession and a variety of measures to help combat gang-related violence.
According to a report published in 2021 by Sweden’s National Council for Crime Prevention, shooting deaths in Sweden have been increasing since the mid-2000s.