In a tight vote of 151-148, the Swedish Parliament approved the introduction of safety zones on Wednesday, granting the police additional powers to conduct checks on vehicles and individuals without suspicion of a crime. These changes will take effect on April 25 and allow the police to search for firearms and explosives in designated safety zones. According to the Swedish government, the aim of these changes is to curb organized crime.
The decision to establish safety zones was met with mixed reactions in Sweden. While some argue that they are necessary to break the cycle of violence and prevent reprisals, others believe that they will increase racial profiling and discrimination. The opposition party, which includes the Social Democrats, the Left Party, the Center Party, and the Greens, have criticized the government’s proposal. They argue that police already have enough authority to prevent crimes without expanding their powers.
However, supporters of this reform believe that it is inspired by Denmark’s inspection zones model introduced in 2004. With an increase in shootings and bomb attacks in Sweden, this change is necessary to address organized crime effectively. Despite criticism from some quarters, the Minister of Justice defended his proposal by emphasizing that body inspections should only be conducted based on objective reasons rather than ethnicity or nationality alone.
The Swedish government hopes that these changes will help reduce violence and crime rates in Sweden while also ensuring public safety.
