One police officer involved in supervisory functions expressed their concerns regarding the upcoming move of investigative activities from Stockholm city to Telestaden in Farsta, describing it as “a wasp that no one wants to poke”. They believe that up to a third of the most qualified serious crime investigators could be lost, with no interest in recruiting new ones. The move to Mårbackagatan in Farsta will require at least 10-15 minutes of walking from both the subway and commuter train, which will result in an hour longer journey per day for many investigators who live north of Stockholm. The investigations cover the entire region and both suspects and witnesses will be affected by the move.
According to DN, the entire investigation section at the Regional Investigation Unit, Rue, including the group for democracy and hate crimes, work environment crimes, fraud, cybercrime, grooming, and the coordination function, will move out of the police station on Kungsholmen. This decision was made in 2020 due to the need to renovate the Kronoberg quarter on Kungsholmen. The move is considered by police officers to be a temporary evacuation lasting between four and six years.
Some police officers believe that the move is unnecessary and that other departments, such as the communication and IT units, could have been relocated instead. The relocation plans have been criticized for a lack of understanding of the department’s needs, and the premises in Farsta are still unfinished, lacking essential interrogation rooms.
The move has been met with protests from residents who believe that a police station should be open in Farsta centrum. Despite the police authority’s finance department signing a contract with Telestaden for approximately 19,000 square meters at SEK 1,900, equivalent to an annual rent of just over 36 million, several police officers have expressed their strong opposition to the move and have no intention of relocating to Farsta.
The head of the investigation unit in Region Stockholm, Fredrik Näslund, acknowledges that the move presents a risk of losing competence but emphasizes that it is a necessary evacuation for a maximum of six years. Rue is also responsible for command functions in the event of a terrorist attack, which is why some officers question why operational activities should be moved out instead of more administrative departments. While no one wishes to overturn the decision, some police officers feel that the consequences of the move have not been fully considered.
“A wasp that no one wants to poke”.
This is how one of the several police officers in supervisory functions that DN spoke to describes the impending move of large parts of the investigative activities from Stockholm city to Telestaden in Farsta.
– We risk losing a third of the most qualified serious crime investigators. In my opinion, we also risk failing to recruit new ones. There is not a single police officer who wants to go out to Farsta to work. It’s wrong as hell, says a police officer who has been privy to the several-year-long process that preceded the move.
The new premises are located on Mårbackagatan in Farsta – at least a 10-15 minute walk from both the subway and commuter train.
– We have lots of investigators at the regional investigation unit who live north of Stockholm. For them, a move means at least an hour longer journey per day, the police state.
The investigators – as, among other things holds interviews with both suspects and witnesses – works with cases that concern the entire region. Even those who are to be heard will be “affected” by the eviction, say police officers.
Photo: Magnus Hallgren
According to information to DN, the entire investigation section at the Regional Investigation Unit, Rue, the group for democracy and hate crimes, work environment crimes, fraud, cybercrime, grooming and the coordination function will move out of the police station on Kungsholmen.
The decision that the operational units should be moved was made in 2020. The background is that the Kronoberg quarter on Kungsholmen in the city needs to be renovated. The move is described by the police management as a temporary evacuation that will last between 4 and 6 years.
– The investigation unit is under enormous pressure. Why do you choose to tear it up in this situation, when you could have instead moved out the communication department. The IT unit, which does not require the premises to be adapted, is a mystery, says another investigator.
According to the same police, the relocation plans have been characterized by a lack of insight into how the business works:
– At first, the authority thought that the intelligence unit could move out. A year later it was found that there is no place for their 105 cars. It is at that level that the discussions were conducted, say the police.
Now has another basement unknown cost converted to garage. At the end of last summer, the Farsta local police area moved into the part of the premises that was then completed. Even that move, which went from Storforsplan in Farsta centrum, caused some protests. Several residents of Farsta then wrote on the police’s Facebook page: “It’s ridiculous to move from Farsta centrum to a place where you have to take a bus” and “We need an open police station in Farsta centrum” were some of those views.
Photo: Magnus Hallgren
The premises that the investigators from Rue will move into are far from ready, for example there are still no interrogation rooms.
– I can’t bear to think about what it has cost so far, says a police officer who has already made up his mind – he will never move to Farsta in his life – a message that several people have given to both DN and the police authority.
The police authority’s finance department signed a contract with Telestaden (read Rikshem and Ikano) back in 2019. Since then, they have been renting just over 19,000 square meters at SEK 1,900, which corresponds to an annual rent of just over 36 million. According to the property owner, the premises accommodate 800 workplaces.
When the Police Authority signed the contract, the need to find evacuation premises was urgent – and considered that Farsta could take off for the police to grow. The decision to move the investigators was taken by then regional police chief Ulf Johansson and then ended up in the lap of Fredrik Näslund, head of the investigation unit who also sits on the regional police leadership.
– The premises are great for any office work, but some adaptation is required. The situation means that we see that there is a serious risk of us losing competence, therefore we have tried to find alternative solutions, says Fredrik Näslund and mentions that a possible solution could be to divide the investigators into two groups and place one of them in the north about town.
Photo: Minna Ridderstolpe
He emphasizes that it is about a temporary, but necessary evacuation in a maximum of six years. Rue is also responsible for command functions in the event of a terrorist attack, which, if it occurs, is most likely to occur within the city.
– Of course, it would be unfortunate if the connection functions did not work in the event of an attack, but we are working to minimize the risks, says Fredrik Näslund.
It has not been possible to get an answer to the question why exactly the operational activities should move out and not the more administrative parts. “Lagt kart lies” – is an expression used when DN asked questions.
One of the policemen who comes to seek himself from Rue says:
– No one thinks it is good that the investigators should be moved out, but no one wants to overturn that decision. I don’t think you dare to see the consequences of that.