A late evening walk to the grocery store ended with a police response on Södermalm. When John got home, he was met by an elderly neighbor who reported that he had been robbed of his mobile phone after a rowdy group asked to borrow it. Now he speaks about recurring problems with unauthorized Africans in the building and a sense of security that, according to him, has gotten steadily worse.
John, who lives on Östgötagatan on Södermalm in Stockholm, says that as he was leaving his building around 10 p.m. on Monday night, he encountered four young people whom he describes as sitting in the stairwell, drinking beer, and being noisy.
– They were sitting and drinking beer and were quite loud and disorderly, he says.
He therefore called his landlord’s disturbance hotline, who said that a security team would be sent to the building. When John returned about fifteen minutes later, he was instead met by a shaken neighbor.
– He came up and said: “Can you help me? I’ve been robbed.”
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“There was a black guy half-lying in the stairs”
The elderly Swedish man, who according to John walks with a crutch after a foot injury, explained that some people had asked to borrow his mobile phone. When he wanted it back, they reportedly ran off with the phone.
One of the individuals apparently remained in the stairwell, as according to John he appeared to be heavily intoxicated or under the influence.
He came up and said: “Can you help me? I’ve been robbed.” He said he became afraid. He didn’t dare go up when one of them was still in the stairwell.
John Lundvall, Södermalm
The elderly man did not want to go back to his apartment until the police arrived on the scene.
– He said he became afraid. He didn’t dare go up when one of them was still in the stairwell.
John therefore stayed with his neighbor until the security team and the police arrived.
Can you describe the people you met in the stairwell?
– The first guy I saw in the corridor had pretty big Afro curls or something similar, and was talking fairly loudly in his language on a phone, so I have no idea what was being said. He continues:
– Then, half-lying, there was another black guy in the stairs, with a can of beer in his hand. A bit further away there was a girl and a guy who seemed to be talking to each other.
Were they also Africans?
– Yes, they were Africans, all four. And the girl I’ve seen wandering around here in the area before.
What age were they approximately?
– I would guess they were around 20.
Two police patrols deployed
When the security team was informed that a neighbor had lost their phone, they chose to wait for the police before entering the building. Shortly thereafter, two police patrols arrived.
According to John, one patrol went up to deal with the man still in the stairwell, while the other took a report from the elderly neighbor.
John got the impression that the police took the incident seriously, but he reacted to not seeing any immediate search for the other individuals.
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– They took a report and dealt with the guy who was left, but I didn’t see anyone go after the others.
He does not know if the mobile phone was later recovered or if anyone was arrested.
Several neighbors report recurring problems
After the incident, John spoke to other residents in the building. One neighbor related that the same group had earlier in the evening run after her as she hurried inside. Another neighbor said there had been fights in the building in the days before.
When the security team has gotten them out, they know they’re often back again after half an hour when some neighbor opens the door. In the morning, there were food scraps and fast food packages in there, and someone had also urinated in the stairwell.
John Lundvall, Södermalm
John says that unauthorized people often get into the stairwell by following residents through the door.
– When the security team has gotten them out, they know they’re often back again after half an hour when some neighbor opens the door.
He describes that littering occurs regularly and that people linger in the stairwell.
– In the morning, there were food scraps and fast food packages in there, and someone had also urinated in the stairwell.
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At the same time, he stresses that he makes a distinction between people who just seek shelter from the weather and those who behave disorderly.
– If someone is sitting there alone and quiet on a cold winter’s day, I feel empathy. But when it’s disorderly, with alcohol, drugs, and crime, that’s a completely different story.
Do you have experience from Tantolunden in Södermalm?
– Yes, it seems like everyone knows what’s going on there, and I think the police do, too. The gangs that stand there and sell their stuff. It happens right in the middle of the day.
Tantolunden in Södermalm has for many years been known as a place where open drug dealing occurs. The police have repeatedly carried out operations against drug sales in the area, while residents and visitors have repeatedly alerted to open drug dealing in the park, especially during the summer months.
Now, I don’t know if these individuals were born in Sweden…, but my opinion is that even if you are born in this country by foreign parents, but behave completely crazily, there should be an opportunity to deport the entire family to their home countries, so we get rid of them, quite simply. I think that’s the only solution that works. Because they notice how lax it is here. If they rob an old person in their home countries, they probably get beaten to death by villagers immediately. Perhaps we’ve become a bit too civilized in this country.
John Lundvall, Södermalm
John believes that the type of crime previously mainly associated with Stockholm’s vulnerable suburbs has now gradually moved into Södermalm as well.
He describes the district, which for a long time has had a strong left-wing voter base, as being less and less spared from recurring disturbances, open drug dealing, and other crime.
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According to him, many still choose to turn a blind eye to the developments, even though the problems have become harder to ignore.
– The left seems to have, not just blinders on, but to put their hands over their eyes and refuse to see reality.
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Wants to see tougher measures
John has lived on Södermalm for two years and believes that safety has deteriorated. He calls for tougher measures against people who repeatedly commit crimes and believes the current system is not enough to stop the problems.
– I would really like to see that they don’t exist here in the area.
What do you think the municipality and politicians should do to increase security?
– I think this thing with good conduct should be even clearer. He continues:
– Now, I don’t know if these individuals were born in Sweden…, but my opinion is that even if you are born in this country by foreign parents, but behave completely crazily, there should be an opportunity to deport the entire family to their home countries, so we get rid of them, quite simply. He concludes:
– I think that’s the only solution that works. Because they notice how lax it is here. If they rob an old person in their home countries, they probably get beaten to death by villagers immediately. Perhaps we’ve become a bit too civilized in this country.
Samnytt has contacted the Police Authority for information about the incident and whether anyone has been arrested or notified of suspicion. When we speak to the police, they say they are not familiar with the event but that we are welcome to email our questions to the police “media center.”
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