U.S. Former Police Chief Expresses Shock at Swedish Gang Violence

Forensic police investigates on August 22, 2016 an area in Gothenburg, where an explosion
BJORN LARSSON ROSVALL/AFP/Getty Images
Chris Tomlinson

A former United States police chief brought in to help Sweden tackle gun crime has expressed shock at the level of violence in the country.

Over the summer, Stockholm’s police went into cooperation with Rutgers University to collaborate on gun crime, with former New Jersey police chief Rick Fuentes travelling to Sweden to meet his Stockholm counterpart, Expressen reports.

Fuentes said he was surprised by the situation in Sweden, especially the number of explosions which has dramatically increased in 2019.

When asked by the newspaper if he had seen similar bombings and use of grenades in the United States, Fuentes said: “I haven’t seen a grenade attack, it hasn’t happened. We have not seen any use of explosives when it comes to murders and injuring people — it is a level of violence we have not seen.”

Ulf Johansson, Stockholm Police’s regional chief, said that the collaboration would involve an exchange of knowledge and work experience and said he wants Sweden to learn from the way the New Jersey police drastically reduced the waiting period for ballistic evidence.

“Those who investigate murders and shootings are very good at what they do. What they need is information quickly so you have to do everything you can to get information out to the investigators,” Fuentes said.

Sweden has seen a surge in gun crime over the last several years with the country seeing a 100 per cent rise in fatal shootings and attempted fatal shootings since 2012.

Swedish Moderate party leader Ulf Kristersson slammed the Social Democrat government on the issue in July, saying the situation was “extreme for a country that is not at war”.

Swedish Security Service (Säpo) head Anders Thornberg said in July that the current wave of shootings was unlikely to be abated any time soon, indicating that the problem could remain for years to come.

Follow Chris Tomlinson on Twitter at @TomlinsonCJ or email at ctomlinson(at)breitbart.com

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