A new police campaign has resulted in more crackdowns and confiscations, but it also has received criticism by students meaning that it exhorts people to run their friends in.
Via posters at the nations and Facebook, the police in Lund have encouraged students to report if they observe anything suspicious during the spring. In collaboration with the nations they have invested in tracking, chiefly, the cannabis abuse within the student sphere.
Up until now, there are no settled numbers, but the effect has been noticeable, according to police officer Kim Lundblad, who has been working with the campaign.
“Numbers that I have studied, from February, March and up to May, have shown an increased number of visitors to the link used for contacting the police.”
He believes that the effect of the campaign isn’t due to people learning how to contact the police, but has rather served as a reminder which has increased the inclination to actually pick up the phone and make the call.
“All police activities depend to a great extent on help from the public. However, if we’re talking about an ongoing assault or drug crimes doesn’t matter.”
Kim Lundblad doesn’t want to give any details about any particular cases where the campaign has resulted in confiscations, but on their Facebook page the police in Lund have reported a breakdown where over a kilo cannabis, as well as equipment for cultivation, have been confiscated as a result of the campaign.
Criticised by several students
However, the project has not been able to go on without facing criticism. Students complain about the police trying to form an “informing culture” by encouraging students to constantly watch, and suspect each other. Kim Lundblad is, however, relatively inappreciative to the criticism.
“The fact of the matter is that in Sweden it’s illegal to concern oneself with drugs. It seems that it’s the question about informing the police that irritates people, but it’s important to remember that we, in this campaign, work a great deal with information and education as well. It’s not all about getting tips, or as they say, snitching.”
In addition to encouraging reporting, education for the nations’ kurators has also been a part of the campaign. A larger interface between the police and the organised student life will possibly result in more long-term effects. On that point, Kim Lundblad means that one can already see results.
Few drug crimes in Lund
In spite of drug crimes increasing nationwide, that tendency doesn’t seem to apply to Lund. In 2012, the number of reported drug crimes within the municipality was prominently lower than the preceding two years, according to statistics of The Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention, BRÅ.
“The nations have become much better lately regarding alcohol and drugs”, Lundblad sums up.
Would you consider reporting a person in your circle of acquaintances who is using drugs?
Translation: Anna Bergvall
Text: Tor Gasslander
Survey: Virve Ivarsson, Bengt Pettersson
