The police force in Sweden is struggling as officers are leaving in record numbers.
In 2013, there were 70 officers under the age of 40 who quit. Another 95 left in 2014 while 2015 saw 121 depart from the force.
So far this year, 60 officers aged 40 or under have already handed in their notices.
Older employees over 40 years of age also are terminating their employment. An estimated 180 have gone this year.
Police training colleges are struggling to enrol many new applicants, despite a call from the national police chief for thousands of new officers.
The situation is blamed on dissatisfaction with wages and working conditions by the national police union, with its leaders warning of an unprecedented mass exodus, particularly if the upcoming salary review is perceived as a “deeply unfair assessment of police work”.
“This trend is very serious and it’s obvious the agency hasn’t understood the seriousness. We have a police shortage today and it’s going to become more acute,” said national police union chairwoman Lena Nitz.
The union has previously expressed anger over the police agency’s failure to honour a promise to pay officers at least 24,500 kronor (€2,585) per month.
A overhaul last year of the police agency, which aimed to modernise procedures and increase efficiency, has not apparently found favour with officers. In a survey of 2,500 of them, no one said the aim had been achieved while a high proportion reported feeling greater stress as a result.
