Sweden's Moderate Party wants to give municipalities more tools to increase public safety. The party proposes a new type of municipal security guard that could patrol entire communities.
The Moderate Party congress is currently debating new measures in the fight against crime. This issue will be central to their election platform.
Local dissatisfaction with insufficient police presence has previously led to demands for municipalities to hire their own police officers. Instead, the party leadership now suggests creating publicly employed municipal security guards to maintain public order.
Justice Minister Gunnar Strömmer from the Moderate Party expects the congress to support this proposal. He said in a statement that this represents the forward path the Moderates have agreed upon.
These municipal security guards would operate across entire municipal territories rather than being limited to specific areas. They would receive longer training than current security officers and have expanded authority with better equipment.
Standard equipment would include batons, handcuffs, and pepper spray. Police assessments could also authorize tasers and firearms in certain situations.
The guards would have broader powers to transport and detain individuals compared to current security personnel. Strömmer described their role as falling between regular police and existing security guards.
This proposal represents a practical response to real public concerns about safety, though it raises questions about creating a parallel security structure outside the national police system.
Many Swedes have expressed frustration with limited police resources in their communities. The Moderate Party clearly sees public safety as a winning electoral issue.