For those who want to leave a criminal gang, support efforts from society can be crucial for the dropout to succeed.

- When it comes to gang-associated crime, the problem is really complicated, says Kristina Alstam, researcher in social work at the University of Gothenburg.

- You can not live anywhere, you can not be friends with anyone, she says.

The person may also need conversational support that is available around the clock, help with completing primary school and finding a job.

Big differences in what is offered

SVT has contacted the 21 municipalities that have had the most shootings since 2018 and asked what type of support is offered to gang criminals who want to quit.

The answers we received show that the differences in the country are large.

In the big cities, such structures have existed for several years - but a third of the municipalities surveyed say that they lack strategies to help defectors.

One of these municipalities is Kristianstad.

- It is a bit naive to think that a municipal coordinator should make any difference, says Radovan Javurek (L), chairman of the work and welfare committee in Kristianstad.

Kristianstad wants to see a national defector program instead.

And they are not alone in that.

A majority of the municipalities that SVT has been in contact with say that they want national control, for example to make it easier to move a defector to another municipality.

Dropout programs became a coordinator

The government's 34-point program from 2019 promised a national defector program.

But so far there has been no cohesive program.

Instead, a temporary coordinator has been appointed.

Anen Makboul, crime prevention coordinator in Haninge municipality, thinks that the government has been unclear in its communication.

- It will not be good, here you have waited and had high expectations for it, and then you have slowed down the development work itself by starting up your own unit or collaboration, even if you have of course continued to work with the problem, says Anen Makboul.

He believes that a national center is needed where small and medium-sized municipalities can send people who want to drop out.

- I think you have to cooperate with others just like the criminals do, they cross municipal boundaries, he says.