No comment: Performing gang subculture in Swedish police interrogations

Abstract

This study explores why gang suspects appear to be making increasingly more use of “no comment” responses during interrogations in Sweden and how it connects to gang subculture. By applying subcultural and interactionist theories as well as previous literature regarding interrogations and gang subculture, this study seeks to contribute with a subcultural understanding of gang suspects behaviours during interrogations. A document analysis was conducted on 102 preliminary police investigation documents containing interrogation transcripts, photographic evidence and chat logs to gain access to the interrogation space and analyse the gang suspects responses. The findings showed that “no comment” responses are being used even when it might not benefit them judicially and that gang suspects seemingly do not care about the evidence being presented. Instead, a way to understand their use of “no comment” responses is that they are being used to abide by the gang subculture that follows the fundamental aspects of the code of the street. Resulting in a situation where not talking to the police is considered the norm. The use “no comment” responses is motivated by a desire to prove yourself and fear of retaliation if one were to talk. Furthermore, gang suspects put on a performance that abides by the subculture to reap the benefits from being perceived as “street”. This together with the open access nature of these documents and digitization of society has resulted in interrogations no longer being private spaces, which encourages gang criminals to never let go of their performance. This performance could also be seen as an extension and byproduct of a modern society where private spaces are becoming a rarity.

Popular Abstract

In Sweden it has become more common for gang suspects to say “no comment” or in any way evoke their right to remain silent during interrogations. At the same time Sweden has also seen an increase in technical and digital evidence that can be used to incriminate these gang suspects. Despite this, gang suspects still make use of “no comment” responses instead of admitting in hopes of getting a reduced sentence, hinting at there being benefits for these gang suspects to remain silent that cannot be found within the interrogation space. This study investigates this by looking at why they make use of “no comment” responses and how it can be connected to gang subculture.



This study builds on a document analysis of 102 preliminary police investigation documents containing interrogation transcripts as well as photographs and chat logs connected to the crime and gang suspect. By applying theories used to understand subculture and interactions between people while also taking inspiration from previous studies that look at the criminal lifestyle and subculture such as Elijah Anderssons’s (1999) Code of the street, this study seeks to contribute with greater understanding of gang criminals use of “no comment” responses from a subcultural perspective.



The findings show that gang suspects make use of multiple forms of “no comment” responses regardless of the evidence being presented. Their motivations for this can be connected to a desire to uphold their subculture where not talking to the police is encouraged and considered the norm. Furthermore, there also seem to be motivations outside of the interrogation room, such as using “no comment” responses to prove yourself to other gang criminals or out of fear that gangs might retaliate if you talk. This, among other things, result in the gang suspect having to put on a performance to abide by their subculture. This together with the open access nature of Swedish interrogations point to interrogations having become less private, with gang suspects having to always put on a performance for other gang criminals who can read the interrogation transcripts afterwards. This performance and its benefits could be a side-effect of the reduction of private spaces in society which has also affected the gangs and their lifestyle. This, from a subcultural perspective, forces us to change our understanding of Swedish interrogations, gangs and the subculture they live in.

• author: Olsson, Jonathan
• supervisor: David Sausdal
• organization: Sociology; Department of Sociology
• course: CCRM20 20261
• year: 2026
• type: H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
• subject: Social Sciences
• keywords: “No comment” responses, gang suspects, gang subculture, interrogations, code of the street, frontstage, backstage
• language: English
• id: 9246097
• date added to LUP: 2026-08-14 10:53:26
• date last changed: 2026-08-14 10:53:26