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The Swedish Police Authority

The Swedish Police Authority is led by National Police Commissioner Petra Lundh.

The Swedish Police Authority comprises:

  • 95 Local Police Districts
  • 25 Police Districts
  • 7 Police Regions
  • 1 Department of National Operations
  • 1 National Forensic Centre
  • 6 National Departments
  • Office of the National Police Commissioner
  • 1 Department of Special Investigations

The number of police districts and local police districts is approximate, because organisational changes are carried out while the Swedish Police Authority is being established.

The Swedish Police Authority organization chart (pdf, 39 kB)

The police region

Each police region has full responsibility for all police activities within its geographical area. A police region may also be assigned the responsibility for police development activities or certain national support and core activities;

The operations division of a police region is responsible for the regional contingency plan, the counter terrorist capacity, the Operations Centre and the Police Contact Centre;

Power of decision is placed at the lowest efficient level in the Swedish Police Authority, but certain tasks are coordinated at the regional level, for example, the investigation of specific types of crime.

National Operations Department (NOA)

NOA has the capacity to direct and supervise police activities nationally and internationally in order to ensure that resources are used efficiently.

NOA:

  • does not conduct any self-initiated operational activities but supports the police regions in their different activities;
  • supervises the operational activities and is mandated to decide on operations and reinforcement of resources across the country;
  • is the national point of contact for the Swedish Security Service, the Swedish Armed Forces and the National Defence Radio Establishment, and is responsible for managing sensitive information relating to terrorism and signals intelligence etc.;
  • is responsible for coordinating, planning and monitoring the special efforts undertaken by several authorities against serious organised crime.

National Forensic Centre (NFC)

NFC is responsible for the forensic activities of the police. In order to promote more efficient coordination of police operational activities, the Head of the National Forensic Centre reports to the National Police Commissioner.

NFC:

  • conduct forensic examinations;
  • monitor and assess existing forensic methods;
  • undertake forensic trace evidence collection and analysis at events including chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear and explosive elements;
  • coordinate requests filed by the National Board of Forensic Medicine;
  • constitute the contact point for national authorities and international contacts within the forensic field;
  • conduct research and development within the forensic field, in close collaboration with the National Operations Department and the police regions;
  • be responsible for the processes of the forensic activities conducted outside the department.

National departments

The national departments (Human Resources, Information Technology, Financial Affairs, Communication, Legal Affairs, Security) provide for strategic control, operational support and support of a more administrative nature required by operations and management.

The managements of all departments are located in Stockholm, providing expert support to activities across the country.

There is an office providing support to the National Police Commissioner, which is composed of a division for operational control and analysis, a secretariat and a division for operations protection.

Special investigations Department (SU)

Investigating offences committed by police officials.

SU investigates, following a directive by the Special Prosecution Office, complaints filed against police officials, police students, prosecutors, judges and Members of the Parliament.

The department is an independent organisation of the Swedish Police Authority. SU will have a preparedness organisation, which implies that investigations can be initiated 24/7. Such an organisation provides for fast response and investigations of high quality.

Mer om Polismyndigheten på svenska

Related information

Reviewed 13 April 2022