Att utsätta särskilda områden - en kriminologisk undersökning av Blåljusutredningen

Sammanfattning: Blåljusutredningen was appointed with the aim to strengthen the criminal law protection of the police, ambulance, rescue service and other professions related to public service. The background was the occurrence of violence against the police in Swedish socio-economically weakened suburbs. In addition, Blåljusutredningen was affected by the medial news coverage of how staff on emergency hospitals received threats in connection to gang related shootings during the summer of 2017. In January 2018, the investigation presented proposals for new legislation including a new crime called blåljussabotage. This thesis is based on critical criminological theory and has been aiming to examine the portrayals of Swedish multicultural suburbs made in Blåljusutredningen. An important influence has been the sociological study Policing the Crisis from 1978 describing how British society and media treated the occurrence of muggings. Further more relevant sociological and criminological studies have been used for the analysis, one of them being incorporated by Blåljusutredningen itself. This common ground between the theoretical basis of the thesis and research behind Blåljusutredningen led to interesting angles for discussion. The first conclusion is that the portrayal of suburbs differs between the various sources. Dominating views are nevertheless the suburb as being a dangerous place and a threat to operating professions within the area. This view is also reflected by the Blåljusutredningen’s assessment of future changes within criminal law. The exaggerated level of threat reported in media has also a great impact even though the image was demented by debriefed sources. The final conclusion is that despite the structural reasoning on the root cause of crime, repressive measures is ultimately being prioritized. Given the theoretical assumption of criminal law being formally structured but unequally practiced, the suggestions of increased repressions would enhance the stigmatizing and systemic violence against marginalized communities.