Residents and police report a noticeable improvement in security in Stockholm's southern suburbs. Alby and Fittja, two areas long plagued by open drug markets, are seeing positive change. A combination of new police powers, surveillance technology, and community cooperation is credited for the shift.
Rani Damen, who works at a store in Alby Centrum, describes the difference. He says customers were once too scared to enter due to gangs and noise. Now, he notes, it is much calmer with a more frequent police presence. This sentiment is echoed in a recent police situation report. The report highlights Alby and Fittja in Botkyrka municipality as areas of clear improvement. Similar progress was noted in parts of Malmö.
Police have used new preventative stay-away orders aggressively since last February. These orders ban individuals from specific zones. Local police chief Michael Johansson says the tool has worked very well to disrupt open drug dealing. It has increased public safety in the centers, he explains. Several violations have resulted in prison sentences. Johansson admits drug sales have not disappeared. They have simply moved from public squares to spaces between buildings.
A key factor is weekly collaboration between police, the municipality, housing companies, and volunteer groups. They share information on everything from serious crime to which stairwells are being vandalized. The municipal housing company Botkyrkabyggen shares the cost of security guards and 'safety field workers' with the local council. These workers aim to build relationships as well as increase security.
Sofi Hermansson, the acting safety director for Botkyrka, points to an important attitude shift. Residents who previously lacked trust now more often report what they see. She stresses the need to show young people alternatives to crime. This is crucial for those with poor school results and little hope for the future.
Despite the positive trend, challenges remain. A doorway was exploded in an Alby building in January. Criminals also use storage rooms and similar spaces as hideouts. Anna Mellström, CEO of Botkyrkabyggen, says this is a common problem for property owners. She notes that surveillance cameras have a strong deterrent effect, pushing youth gangs to gather elsewhere.
For a cheaper alternative, the company uses 'disturbance boxes'. These devices emit a high-frequency sound only audible to people under 30. The sound is designed to be unpleasant, discouraging loitering. Pensioner Latif Jebali, who has lived in Alby since 1984, agrees the center is calmer. He credits a surveillance camera for pushing criminals out of the main square. Yet he observes they now sell drugs between the buildings instead. He calls it a cat-and-mouse game.
Jebali offers a blunt analysis of the root cause. He argues the fundamental problem is parental neglect. Parents do not ask where their children are or how they afford expensive clothes without jobs, he says. While police efforts are recognized as good, he believes one local officer is insufficient. The long-term solution requires addressing these deeper social issues alongside continued security measures. The progress in Alby and Fittja shows a multi-pronged approach can yield results, but the underlying drivers of gang recruitment remain a stubborn challenge for Swedish suburbs.