Policing Möllevången - A critical discourse analysis of policing in the neoliberal city

Abstract: This thesis addresses the ideological conditions for policing in Malmö, Sweden. It takes its theoretical point of departure in the rise of urban neoliberalism, and how urban neoliberalization alters policy and practices of policing. The thesis examines policy documents related to the organization and reorganization of policing in Sweden and Malmö from the 1990s to the present. The analysis is complemented by interviews with actors involved in the policing. Special focus is given to a new model of policing implemented in the neighborhood of Möllevången, which is considered a current frontier of the neoliberalization of Malmö. The main argument of the thesis is that the contemporary organization and practices of policing in Malmö is supported by neoliberal ideas, and in return is contributing to the urban neoliberalization of Malmö. One implication of the neoliberal reorganization, the thesis argues, is a shift towards prioritizing safety and security over a focus on crime and crime prevention. This shift redirects attention from individual offenders to the broader context of crimes, considering entire demographics or areas as potential contributors to criminal activity. Thus, the whole neighborhood of Möllevången becomes a target for policing intervention. Another implication is a delegation of controlling activities from the national police to a broader set of local actors, which has contributed to a more comprehensive, multifaceted, and to an extent privatized, policing approach. Additionally, the methods have expanded the range of individuals subject to policing, extended beyond those involved in criminal activities to include those who are considered to be breaking social norms. The development of the depth and the width of the extended policing might disproportionately impact certain groups in Möllevången that do not align with the norms that are needed for the urban neoliberalization.