Before 2017, it was desktop computers that applied when police officers searched their records, so-called beatings. But for the past six years, they have instead had access to the registers via their mobile phones, which has made the work easier. These include criminal records and the general surveillance register.
Now there is a great deal of uncertainty about which strikes are allowed to do and not. The reason is a number of prosecutions and convictions against police officers. This is according to police officers that SVT Nyheter Väst talked to. The chief safety representative for Police Region West takes the problem seriously.
"It is unacceptable that this has happened. Strikes are part of the intelligence gathering that is vital for the Swedish police, says Björn Johnsson, chief safety officer for the West Police Region.
Hands on curiosity strokes
According to him, the police authority's governing documents and rules are flawed and unclear, which means that police officers risk being punished and lose their employment if they make wrong beatings. Something that Lars Eckerdal, head of the regional office Police Region West, does not agree with.
– It has reached me that there is a concern, but I think we have been clear in our information. If there is uncertainty, we must inform more," says Lars Eckerdal.
According to him, the reason for doubling the number of reports for special investigations may be that it is easier to make calls in the service mobiles, plus that the number of police employees has increased.
"The vast majority of cases where employees are convicted of hacking are so-called curiosity strikes, made on, for example, a neighbour or a former partner. It's very obvious that this is incorrect," says Eckerdal.