Community Policing in Rural Areas : a Study on Community Police Officiers

This qualitative research study examines community police officers (CPO) in a northern Swedish rural setting. The research on rural policing in Sweden is generally underdeveloped and the purpose of this study is to fill a part of that knowledge gap. Swedish police re-organized in 2015. Community safety and local crime preventive work was set out as key factors to enable the police organization to get closer the citizens they serve. However, recent reports suggest that everything is not working as it should: the crime preventive work within the police is lacking and have not yet stabilized on a national level. The CPOs are often understaffed and not able to prioritize their designated duties. This research shows that there is still a need for development for CPOs in rural areas in northern Sweden. They are somewhat isolated in their role as CPO and the daily operational work conflicts with planned crime preventive activities. The findings in this study stresses that the work of CPO in rural areas needs more attention to a greater extent than previous. The conclusion is that the police organization should be facilitating CPOs in the use of crime preventive strategies, but should also put more efforts into building relations with the local communities it serves.