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Police Legislation Model: The Swedish Police Act

5 October, 2011

Description

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction to the toolkit

Analytical framework and methodology

The Swedish Police

The Swedish Police Act, presented in the analytical grid

Structure and context

Vision and values

Mission

Relations and subordination

Organisation

Personnel

Duties and rights

Accountability and transparency

Other

The Swedish Police Act, presented in its integral form

General provisions

Bodies within the police service

Transfer of staff

General principles of police intervention

Obligation to report an offence

Certain powers vested in police officers

Final provisions

Abstract

Sweden has a national police service, which reports to the Ministry of Justice. The police service comprises the National Police Board, the National Laboratory of Forensic Science and 21 regional police authorities, each responsible for the policing of its county.

The Police Act provides that each of the 21 counties in Sweden constitutes a police district, which is led by a police authority. The police authority is directed by a Police Board, which comprises politically appointed members, among them the head of the authority (County Police Commissioner).