Gang crime creates fear in Hovsjö centre
In Hovsjö in Södertälje, criminal networks have gained a strong foothold. An eighty-year-old resident describes how young men regularly gather at an entrance to deal drugs.
Gang crime creates fear in Hovsjö centre
Smoke from cigarettes rises towards the sky on the outdoor terrace in Hovsjö centre in Södertälje. A woman in her eighties points towards an entrance nearby. She describes how young men gather there almost every evening to sell illegal substances.
Criminals' grip over the district has become everyday reality for residents. Expressen reports on how inhabitants feel that gangs have taken over parts of the community.
The elderly woman expresses a sense of having become part of the furniture in the area. She describes an existence where drug dealing happens openly in public places and creates great insecurity.
The authorities have identified 129 individuals linked to gang crime in 22 different areas. Hovsjö is one of these areas where criminal structures have become established. The police are working to map and counteract the activity, but the challenges are considerable when gangs have taken root in the local community.
Drug dealing happens in the open and has become a visible part of life for those living in the centre.
Source: Expressen