The symposium concluded with a panel discussion, photo exhibition and a documentary film about the war in Ukraine.

Sweden Against Organised Crime

On Wednesday, Sweden Against Organised Crime (SMOB) held a full-day conference on the theme of “A day where we join forces and gather knowledge to combat the criminal economy”, which attracted over 300 participants. SMOB is an initiative that is run by Södertörn University in collaboration with public authorities, labour market partners and business organisations.

The conference was opened by Johan Olsson from the Swedish Police Authority’s Department of National Operations, and the morning focused on topics such as lessons from the Italian police’s long-standing work against the mafia and the role of the financial sector in the criminal economy. The afternoon session emphasised the importance of collaboration and cooperation in the fight against organised crime, with a panel that discussed coordination between municipalities, the police and international actors. The day concluded with a panel discussion on how public authorities can strengthen their joint efforts to combat the criminal economy.

Seminar on hybrid attacks and a tour of the premises

On Thursday, a seminar was held on “Russia and Ukraine’s hybrid warfare – the impact on internal security in Eastern Europe”. Drone attacks, sabotage of undersea cables and disinformation are examples of hybrid attacks which, together, have redrawn the map for Europe’s security architecture.

Professor Bernhard Frevel began with an overview of the challenges facing the German security apparatus due to hybrid threats. A research team with participants from Swedish universities then presented the findings of their study on cybercrime and its victims, and the conclusions they drew. Captain Pawel Olber PhD reported statistical patterns relating to nineteen cases of foreign drones that crashed in Poland over a period of a month. To conclude, Susanna Bellander from the Swedish Police Authority gave a presentation on how foreign powers, terrorism and organised crime overlap and constitute three interrelated forms of hybrid threats.

During the afternoon, university staff were offered a tour of police education’s learning environment. Equipment such as stun guns, pepper spray and batons were demonstrated in the training hall before staff were given the opportunity to test practical exercises. The shooting hall’s flexible training environment, with movable walls and doors, was presented. This is a facility that allows students to practise for different scenarios. In the new forensic teaching lab, staff were given a demonstration of how fingerprints can be detected using soot or magnetic powder.

The official opening of Nomos

The anniversary week concluded on Friday, with the inauguration of the school’s new building, Nomos, which has facilities that include a forensic laboratory, training hall and shooting range. The welcome speech was given by Vice-Chancellor Ylva Fältholm, followed by Sara Heelge Vikmång, Chair of Huddinge Council, Max Åkerwall, Deputy Commander of the Police Area, Katharina von Sydow, Chair of the Swedish Police Union, and Mehdi Ghazinour, Head of the School of Police Studies. The inauguration also featured music from a choir, Hårdrockskören, who chose to donate their fee to Maria Magdalenas Diakoni and its work for vulnerable people.