The prisons and institutions are full, but the deadly violence continues unabated.

According to the National Police Chief, the police will not be able to stop it unless society succeeds in preventing children and young people from choosing crime.

In Region South alone, during Operation Rimfrost, the police have identified about eighty children aged 8-14 who commit crimes.

The situation is similar in several vulnerable areas.

In Rinkeby, where a bloody gang conflict is behind several of the recent murders in Stockholm, police officers Martin Marmgren and Rissa Seidou have kept track of several of those involved since they were little. 

- Both those who were convicted of the double murder in Denmark have been actively criminals since they were children.

They are examples of when we saw early on that it will not go well, says Martin Marmgren, head of the police's youth section in Västerort. 

Starting with small services 

He is careful to point out that there is mainly no active recruitment of new criminals.

Instead, children are socialized into crime.

It is the criminals who have status in the area and the process often starts with seemingly innocent services. 

- It can start with just hanging out with the criminals, then you buy some soda, then maybe you should keep a bag that may contain drugs.

Later you have to keep a guard on the police or you have to hide a weapon, says Rissa Seidou, area police in Rinkeby.  

After that, the step is not far to start committing serious crimes.  

- They adopt the worldview and the values ​​that lifestyle criminals have.

It is about the view of society, the view of the police, of drugs and of violence, says Martin Marmgren.

Want to see strengthened social services law

Children under the age of 15 are not criminally liable, which means that those who commit crimes end up with the social services.

Here it is difficult to take action and many who have committed serious crimes are quickly back on the streets.

- It's like a carousel.

It just goes around and it's a big frustration, says Rissa Seidou.

Martin Marmgren fills in:

- The legislation must be able to put a stop much earlier and if it requires a lock-in then we must be able to get it as well, he says.

Footnote: Police officer Martin Marmgren is also a leisure politician and active in the Green Party.