"Our main task is to prevent crime and this must be done at a young age. We have become better at this in Uppsala and it also creates a frustration that despite all the efforts since the last time we had a wave of shootings, this is happening again, says Erik Pelling (S), chairman of the municipal board.
– A new phenomenon now is that many of the perpetrators come from other municipalities and it is very difficult for us to access
There have been several years of shootings in Gottsunda, Stenhagen and Sala backe, among others. Can you as a municipality do more?
"We need to do more and I am open to all new proposals and solutions. But we must also persevere with the efforts we are already doing," says Erik Pelling.
Letter to school staff
Anders Fridborg, head of security at Uppsala municipality, says that several schools and parents have contacted them for support and guidance on how to protect the children.
At Västra Stenhagen School, police were on site earlier this week to inform about the situation. In a letter to staff, the principal now urges to be careful that the school is not a public place. You should also be vigilant if you hear students talking about gang crime.
"There is, of course, a concern from parents about taking children to school and a concern from our own staff about getting to work. Parents wonder if the school is safe. There are no threat scenarios that we know of," says Anders Fridborg.