For several months last year, an experiment was conducted with police-controlled security guards in two local police districts in Stockholm. According to an evaluation, the trial has worked well and could lead to the system becoming permanent.
The pilot project ran from April to September 2025, with eight security guards in Skärholmen and six in Södermalm. The guards were hired through a private security company but worked under police supervision.
They operated out of the police station and drove unmarked police cars. They were also given access to a limited version of Rakel to communicate with each other and their supervisors. Their task was to patrol squares, parks, and shopping centers to remove, eject, detain, confiscate alcohol, and carry out transports under LOB regulations.
Now that the trial has been evaluated by the Stockholm Region, the assessment according to Polistidningen is that it worked well, with community police officers stating that the guards have created significant value, including easing their workload.
This summer, a new round will take place in Skärholmen and Södermalm, but no decision has yet been made on whether the system will become permanent and expand. The matter is currently being considered by the National Operations Department.
READ ALSO: Security Guards Granted Greater Powers
