I was recently involved in an online discussion thread where Americans living in Sweden discussed the subject of “no go zones” in the country. The discussion was initiated by a woman living in Seattle who was contemplating on moving to Sweden but was concerned about no go zones and wanted feedback.
One American after the other claimed that Sweden is very safe and that there is nothing to be worried about. Some even said “no go zones” are a myth created to scare people. Many solely relied on their personal experiences to defend their opinions, saying things like, “I have witnessed little crime here, compared to the insane crime I saw in New York, so don’t listen to the hype.” They gave no in-depth insight on the subject of crime in Sweden that has actually become a growing concern for many Swedes, and even had the nerve to call people who are concerned “racists” and “xenophobes.”
I rained on their parade and said, “Yes, there are no go zones in Sweden,” and provided further detail about areas that the Swedish police have labeled “vulnerable.” Immediately I became a target in the discussion and many Americans tried to make me come off as a quack. I ended up saying to them that I, and many Swedes, are concerned about the increase in crime in Sweden, and if you don’t care then that is your priority. After saying this, I realized that there is a difference between how Americans and Swedes view crime.
Many of the Americans participating in the thread were coming from cities like New York City, Chicago and Louisville, where gang violence and crime are regular occurrences. As a result, in their minds, they think Sweden is very safe and that discussing crime in Sweden is “fear mongering,” because they consider crime in Sweden to be practically non-existent. What is strange is that they seem to not analyze Sweden’s crime history, or put themselves in the shoes of Swedish people, hence therefore they do not understand the evolution of crime in Sweden. Many of them have been living in Sweden for less than five years, which is not an adequate amount of time to analyze how the criminal environment has changed in the country.
I have spoken to many older Swedes who noted how peaceful Sweden was twenty to thirty years ago compared to today. Crime, such as murder, gun violence and theft, was practically unheard of in the entire country. Now this kind of crime is becoming more commonplace not only in Sweden’s major cities, but even in smaller towns. Sweden’s first terrorist attack shook the country last year on April 7, 2017. Imagine being a Swede and seeing this chaos unfold in your peaceful country. Many Swedes are devastated by the crime that has been happening in Sweden during recent years, and have become increasingly frustrated with the Swedish government. Some have even moved out of their communities due to feeling less safe.
In a nut shell, many Americans in Sweden continue to ignore increase in crime in the country because it is not comparable to the crime they are familiar with in the United States, while many Swedes are concerned because they have observed their country change. If one pays attention to long term crime statistics in Sweden, it would be acknowledged that crime has become more of an issue. Perhaps Americans in Sweden will become concerned when the crime rate in Sweden reminds them of their home country, but by then it will be too late.
Photo source: FinancialExpress.com.
Lauren Ell is an American blogger born and raised in Southern California and is currently based in Sweden. She discusses Epilepsy, Politics and Fun. Professionally Ell is an Online Marketing Consultant and Virtual Assistant. She is also founder and president of Republican Atheists. Connect with Lauren on Facebook and Twitter.