Stockholm police recently held a workshop for seventh-grade students, teaching them how to respond if they encounter crime gangs through role-playing exercises,

As crime, particularly involving gangs with a migrant background, appears to intensify in Sweden, there is a growing need to prepare younger generations for potential dangers. In a pilot initiative, the Stockholm police recently held a workshop for seventh-grade students, teaching them how to respond if they encounter criminals through role-playing exercises, according to the Swedish Samnytt news portal.

Students received instructions on how to behave if, for example, a gang member asks them to guard their firearms or drugs. They were advised to blame their parents for not being able to hide the items, saying the parents would check their clothes, bags, drawers, and closets at home.

The initiative is part of the police’s preventive efforts and is necessary because gangs are increasingly recruiting younger individuals for criminal activities, who cannot be prosecuted.

.Many children who fall victim to such crimes or recruitment attempts are afraid to tell their parents, the police, or other adults, often due to threats that speaking out will have serious consequences.

One assumption is that children exposed to gangs are more likely to approach the police if they already know one or more officers. Thus, efforts are being made to build relationships between schoolchildren and local police.

The project involves not only district police officers but also staff from recreational centres and community outreach assistants to effectively combat escalating gang crime. This way, children can feel safe when approaching the authorities.

It’s also important to note that the dangers to children extend beyond recruitment; they could easily find themselves in the midst of a shooting, witness a stabbing, or observe drug dealing on school grounds.

Much of the discussion focused on the frequent gang shootings that have become almost daily occurrences, causing significant concern among children.

„It is crucial to maintain contact with the kids to prevent them from becoming criminals and to encourage them to seek help if they become victims. It’s easier for them to approach the police if they know an officer,” a constable told Lilla Aktuellt in a recent interview.

According to Samnytt, as part of this program, police are now visiting every school in southern Stockholm.