Justice Minister Gunnar Strömmer Demands Cultural Shift in Collaboration to Prevent Gang Recruitment of Children

Sweden's Justice Minister Gunnar Strömmer has called for a significant cultural shift in how social services, schools, and police share information to better protect children at risk of gang recruitment. Strömmer emphasized the necessity for all parties holding relevant information to collaborate closely, saying, “We can only protect the children if everyone who has information shares it.”

The government is set to prioritize preventing gang recruitment in the 2026 regulation letter for the police. Strömmer advocates for the police to take the lead in mobilizing efforts to safeguard vulnerable youth, highlighting that new police powers could enable more effective intervention. These powers include the ability to use secret coercive measures, such as surveillance of children under 15, aimed at prevention.

Despite legislative changes allowing improved information sharing, Strömmer expressed dissatisfaction with the current state of cooperation, criticizing the outdated notion that withholding information best protects at-risk children. He has requested the police to submit a report in 2026 on how information sharing is being implemented and what results it produces.

Additional government plans involve enhancing police capabilities to counteract online gang recruitment and collecting detailed statistics on children suspected of serious crimes from 2022 through 2026. Strömmer described the initiative as a way to “pull children out of the gangs’ shadows,” underscoring the urgent need for a coordinated approach involving social services, schools, and law enforcement.

These developments reflect a comprehensive strategy aimed at combating gang recruitment of children through improved inter-agency cooperation and the employment of new surveillance tools under police leadership, seeking to shift mindsets and practices across relevant sectors.