Police increase surveillance in the Stockholm archipelago

The Stockholm Police are ready for the Midsummer weekend with a special Midsummer order. Sandhamn is one of the islands that has permanent police protection during the weekend. Photo: OLLE SPORRONGSalm police have been reinforced during the weekend. Photo: Fredrik Sandberg/TT / TT NEWS AGENCYOla Österling at the police says that they will carry out many sobriety checks at sea during the weekend. Photo: FREDRIK FUNCK / DN / TT / TT NEWS AGENCY

Stockholm police are gearing up for a Midsummer weekend. But it’s not in the city that reinforcements have been called in – but in the archipelago.

– The mainland in Stockholm is usually quite quiet, but there are a lot of people out on Sandhamn, Utö, Grinda. We have a so-called midsummer order, when the police officers who are supposed to work there are to be driven out, in some cases they are to be driven home and in some cases they are to remain. Because tomorrow is also a holiday in some places, says Ola Österling at the Stockholm Police.

– Today it’s more family, tomorrow it’s more club, if I’m being a bit careless.

“Extra many patrols”

The Maritime Police have been reinforced for the weekend. There are also several popular archipelago islands that usually do not have a police presence.

– We have that every year, during the so-called “sailing period,” explains Österling.

– Now we have extra patrols that will carry out sobriety checks. We don’t want any accidents in the archipelago where boats collide with each other or run aground, he continues.

Although the weekend is expected to include a lot of drinking, worse has been experienced.

– It has become much better. When I worked in external service, in the early 2000s, we could sometimes be quite violent and very drunk. It has become much, much better. But we still send police officers out into the archipelago to work on the islands.

Is drunkenness the most common archipelago crime at midsummer?

– Yes, and LOB. There are usually some who will fight, of course, too. We have special transport patrols on the mainland that will meet up as well, Stavsnäs is one such port. The maritime police and also the coast guard, who can act as an arrest patrol, then they drive those who have been beaten up, often in handcuffs, and then the police meet them up there and drive them to the police station in Västberga or Flemingsberg.

Is it a nice command to receive as a police officer?

– It’s really nice, especially if the weather is good. You get invited to some food and are very well received on the islands and have a really nice time.