Hemliga tvångsmedel: En studie om attityder till brottsförebyggande arbete och personlig integritet

Sammanfattning: The aim of this study is to examine the attitudes of the Swedish public towards the use of covert coercive measures for the purpose of crime prevention. There is currently a bill in Sweden to broaden the applicability of covert coercive measures for preventative purposes in the context of criminal activities taking place within an organization or group. The use of covert coercive measures may infringe on the right to privacy, and therefore this study examines the trade-off between crime prevention and the protection of privacy rights. To assess the public opinion, an online survey was conducted and the results were later analyzed using Garland's theory of the culture of control. The current legal framework on the use of covert coercive measures, as well as the bill to widen its application, are also presented and compared with the public opinion. The outcomes of the study indicate that the public included in this study generally has a positive attitude towards the use of covert coercive measures in preventive purposes, which indicates the existence of a prevailing culture of control within Swedish society. In addition, a high regard for both the right to privacy and crime prevention efforts were expressed. The public included in this study also believes that restricting the right to privacy can be acceptable in the interest of preventing more serious crimes. Lastly, the legislative proposal and current laws on the topic seem to mostly align with the public opinions that were shown in the survey.