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Kommuners brottsförebyggande ansvar - En kvalitativ studie om kommunalt brottsförebyggande arbete

Persson, Emelie LU and Johansson, Emma LU (2024) RÄSK02 20241
Department of Sociology of Law
Abstract
This study examines how Swedish municipalities interpret and implement the new
Swedish law regarding municipal responsibility for crime prevention work. The law contains a responsibility for Swedish municipalities to base their crime prevention work on an evidence basis. Furthermore, the law includes a responsibility for municipalities to establish a situational picture as well as coordination of the local crime prevention work. From a sociology of law perspective, this study aims to explain how municipal officials use their discretion in the interpretation and implementation of the law. Additionally, the study attempts to explain how aspects of decentralization contribute to
the municipalities discretion in the implementation of the... (More)
This study examines how Swedish municipalities interpret and implement the new
Swedish law regarding municipal responsibility for crime prevention work. The law contains a responsibility for Swedish municipalities to base their crime prevention work on an evidence basis. Furthermore, the law includes a responsibility for municipalities to establish a situational picture as well as coordination of the local crime prevention work. From a sociology of law perspective, this study aims to explain how municipal officials use their discretion in the interpretation and implementation of the law. Additionally, the study attempts to explain how aspects of decentralization contribute to
the municipalities discretion in the implementation of the law. The theoretical
framework is based on Lipsky’s street level bureaucracy as well as decentralization lenses. Using qualitative interviews with municipal officials, the study includes interviews with officials from twelve Swedish municipalities. The results indicate a variation in how discretion is used in the local crime prevention work. It suggests that not all methods used are based on evidence. Moreover, their discretion is also used to include the citizens’ perspective in the local crime prevention work, which is not a legal
requirement. Based on a perceived resource deficiency, it appears that smaller
municipalities do not have the same prerequisites to implement the law. Finally, the results indicate that resources and representativeness from citizens and other local actors are contributing factors in the discretion. It emphasizes that resources and representativeness are important factors to ensure that informed decisions can be made. (Less)
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author
Persson, Emelie LU and Johansson, Emma LU
supervisor
organization
course
RÄSK02 20241
year
type
M2 - Bachelor Degree
subject
keywords
Decentralization, discretion, law interpretation, local crime prevention work, Swedish municipalities
language
Swedish
id
9167721
date added to LUP
2024-07-09 14:10:37
date last changed
2024-07-09 14:10:37
@misc{9167721,
  abstract     = {{This study examines how Swedish municipalities interpret and implement the new
Swedish law regarding municipal responsibility for crime prevention work. The law contains a responsibility for Swedish municipalities to base their crime prevention work on an evidence basis. Furthermore, the law includes a responsibility for municipalities to establish a situational picture as well as coordination of the local crime prevention work. From a sociology of law perspective, this study aims to explain how municipal officials use their discretion in the interpretation and implementation of the law. Additionally, the study attempts to explain how aspects of decentralization contribute to
the municipalities discretion in the implementation of the law. The theoretical
framework is based on Lipsky’s street level bureaucracy as well as decentralization lenses. Using qualitative interviews with municipal officials, the study includes interviews with officials from twelve Swedish municipalities. The results indicate a variation in how discretion is used in the local crime prevention work. It suggests that not all methods used are based on evidence. Moreover, their discretion is also used to include the citizens’ perspective in the local crime prevention work, which is not a legal
requirement. Based on a perceived resource deficiency, it appears that smaller
municipalities do not have the same prerequisites to implement the law. Finally, the results indicate that resources and representativeness from citizens and other local actors are contributing factors in the discretion. It emphasizes that resources and representativeness are important factors to ensure that informed decisions can be made.}},
  author       = {{Persson, Emelie and Johansson, Emma}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Kommuners brottsförebyggande ansvar - En kvalitativ studie om kommunalt brottsförebyggande arbete}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}