Plain-clothes policeman wants to see more people in the town centre: “Everyone talks about how terrible it is”
He has 25 years of experience as a plain-clothes policeman. Bo Emilsson knows how it is in Kristianstad. He thinks it’s awful that many people who live in Kristianstad feel unsafe.
– Everyone talks about how terrible it is. I know an older lady who is afraid of being assaulted when she goes out. I don’t think the risk is so great, says Bo Emilsson.
”You can get some neighbours together and go for a walk around the city. Talk to young people and do it in a nice way.”Bo Emilsson, retired plain-clothes policeman
In September he wrote a debate article in Kristianstadsbladet. The message was that it was time to stop hiding behind the blinds and instead go out around the city. Talk to young people. Have an evening coffee with your neighbours. Neither the police nor the municipality can do everything, says Bo Emilsson.
– The worst thing is not the risk of being beaten up, but the feeling that you may be. It’s terrible that so many Swedish people are locked up inside on Friday and Saturday nights. That they are afraid to go out.
He has the understanding that many people, especially young women, feel unsafe. There, the municipality has a responsibility to increase security, for example, to make sure that underpasses are well lit. But citizens also need to get involved, thinks Bo Emilsson.
– You can get some neighbours together and go for a walk around the city. Talk to young people and do it in a nice way.
Bo Emilsson sometimes sees adults approaching young people aggressively. For example, they may say, "you’re not allowed to stand and smoke here".
– It’s better to start by asking how they are and talking a little in general. Then at the end, you can say "it’s not good that you stand here and smoke, it doesn't go down so well". It’s less threatening. But many people are afraid to talk to young people and see them as violent, says Bo Emilsson.
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