Karlstad - a safe municipality

There is a Safety Centre in Karlstad in which professionals, e.g. municipal security developer, police officers, social workers, on-call crime victim services, etc. work together in order to improve safety in the municipality. There is also a group called, 'Youths for safety', which comprises ten specially selected and paid youths aged 18-21 who workwith peers on safety issues at schools and danger prevention in situ during late evenings in the city centre. Every operation is to be knowledge based, i.e. that the work is based on different criminological knowledge about crime and its possible effects. The number of car break-ins has been reduced by 50 % over recent years. Other examples include efforts to create safer schools and neighbourhoods. Moreover, safety walks have been arranged where residents themselves are free to make suggestions for safety-creating measures in their communities.

The youth for safety

There is also extensive support and assistance for victims of crime. Measures are implemented in order to reduce the risk of crimes being repeated. In Sweden, thereare relatively few peopleand places that are affected by reocurring crime. Karlstad has less crime and people are safer than in other municipalities of similar size.

"We are now working with study groups and safety walks for women in different residential areas. The reason for this is that women often have different feelings of what is unsafe than men do. Studies have also shown that with age women feel more insecure than men. We have produced the study material ourselves and it contains the causes of crime and insecurity as well as examples of different solutions," said Gunnar Dahl, Director of Operations.

An interest from other municipalities about the organisation and its work has been considerable. It has even led to an exchange with England with support from the EU.

"Being a member of the UBC Commission on Local Safety, we have not only the opportunity to learn from and be inspired by others, but also to provide examples of what we have seen that works in crime prevention and safety-creating measures in Karlstad."