Regionala strategier för brottsförebyggande arbete i Norrlands glesbygdsregioner

Abstract: This study will present an analysis regarding regions effect on crime in rural areas. Thefour regional crime prevention organizations: police, the Swedish National Council forCrime Prevention (BRÅ), the county administrative board (länsstyrelse) and regions(regioner), all have a direct or indirect relation with handling crime in rural areas and/orhow it can be prevented. Through the lens of regional crime prevention, using previousresearch and interviews, the study tries to create the first reflections regarding howcrime prevention efforts in rural areas can be presented in the region’s context.Region’s new assignments, finalized in 2019, has had a distinct impact on all parts ofregional politics in Sweden. The inquisitive nature of the study is a telling sign that thisis uncharted ground in the Swedish context, and maybe the rest of Scandinavia andEurope. Because of this, the study creates an effort in explaining parts of regional crimeprevention in a rural context to consider the regions’ place within it.The study presents crime-related issues in rural areas, how the region’s processes forregional development function and a discussion regarding motivations surroundingcrime preventions place within regional development and regions. The study formulatesan attempt at a new framework of holistic dependency for crime in rural areas. Thisframework is dependent on four different recommendations, the topics of which canbe relevant for continued analysis and development regarding handling crime in ruralareas in the regional context. The four recommendations for rural crime prevention inthe regional context are: 1. Clarify whether the regional development strategy can include crime preventioninterventions based on identified crime prevention themes in regionaldevelopment, especially themes around more effective use of civil society as acrime prevention actor. 2. Investigate whether specific regions can change their responsibilities towards thestate to create better strategies based on their unique characteristics. 3. Clarify the crime prevention networks which regions take part in and how theycan be better used to prevent crime in Norrland's sparsely populated areas. 4. Interview all regional development directors and coordinators to develop thecase study presented