More people are looking for police training - but fewer and fewer people are going to trial

Now you can apply for police training all year round and choose for yourself when to do a trial and start studying. But of those who go to trial, only one in five gets approved at all stages. 

- Working as a police officer places very high demands on the police, and we have no ambition to lower the requirements, says Mattias Dejke, national coordinator for police growth. 

Growth in 2024 

The aim of the police is to increase the number by 2024. Among the objectives of the Police Authority are, among other things, to attract, recruit and retain existing employees. 

- Today we see positive signals. Fewer police officers stop at the Police Authority and more people choose to come back. We are more police officers than we have ever been, ”says Mattias Dejke to SVT News. 

At present, there are just over 20,800 police officers in the country - a historic top listing, according to Dejke. 

According to a 2019 survey, every other police person is exposed to threats and violence. The fact that the police work environment is considered dangerous has in turn caused people to refuse the education, experiences SVT News. 

- Working as a police officer is a tough job and places high demands on our employees, which is why we place high demands on those who apply, says Mattias Dejke. 

Higher pay 

The Riksdag has provided extra funds to increase police salaries and thus the status of the profession. During 2019, police officers' basic salaries were increased by an average of 5.7 percent, which is more than the state average basic salary, which was increased by 3.0 percent. But today, a police officer earns an average of 36,200 a month, which is SEK 3300 less per month compared to what a government employee earns. 

- The negative wage trend in relation to other government employment has had an impact. Many have left because they do not receive salary in relation to their skills, says Tomas Stjernfeldt, first deputy chairman of the Police Association. 

In 2019, 828 police officers stopped, half retired for reasons other than retirement. Tomas Stjernfeldt believes that more needs to be done to get cops to stay in the profession. 

- Many investments that have been made are positive but they are not enough. You do not feel appreciated. It does not feel like there is any ambition to develop the competence and it will affect the longer term if you want to stay, he says.