The defector activity is a collaboration between the police, social services and private actors who work together to help people get away from the criminal lifestyle.
"You give them support and protection," says Josefina Gunér, the police's regional defector coordinator.
But despite the recent escalation of violence in Uppsala, Gunér has not yet noticed an increased number of defectors. However, she believes that will change.
"I am convinced that there will be a wave of defectors where we have to deal with what comes from the backwater of what is happening now," she says.
A "deal"
When the next wave comes, Josefina Gunér cannot answer.
"Right now we are in a situation with many people who are worried and afraid. We will have to meet that need, there are many who want to change their lifestyle and get away from crime, she says.
And to become a defector, you have to make a deal with the police.
"The defector feels terribly bad. They are scared and worried. It is a total lifestyle change that must take place. You enter into an agreement to agree on what is okay and not okay to do. This is done so that we can maintain the support and protection that the defector needs, says Josefina Gunér.
See more criteria for becoming a defector in the video above.