Published 17 June 2024 at 12.15
Domestic. The police are satisfied with their work during Eurovision in Malmö. Only one man was arrested and detained on suspicion of crimes connected to the event, and otherwise fewer crimes were committed than usual.
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With upwards of 100,000 visitors in Malmö during Eurovision week, the police had not only planned a high presence in public places but also an increased ability to investigate both crimes in both the physical environment and on the Internet.
– Eurovision was a safe and secure event. We had prepared carefully and in cooperation with the Security Police and Europol we had a good intelligence picture all the time. At the same time, you can never completely rule out the risk of lone perpetrators in large, public contexts. During Eurovision, we did background checks on around 10 people. All could be dismissed after checking, says Petra Stenkula, police area manager in Malmö.
During Eurovision, the prisons in Malmö and the surrounding area had the capacity to handle a large number of detainees, but when the week was summed up, only one person had been arrested and detained and where there was a connection to the event. The man was suspected of serious weapons offenses in connection with a public gathering. He was released after questioning.
The result after the Eurovision week shows 81 police reports with a direct connection to Eurovision. Most common were violations of the Aviation Ordinance. It is about 16 reports of people who flew drones despite the flight ban that applied in large parts of Malmö. 22 unlicensed public gatherings and it is a violation of the Public Order Act. 12 drug crimes related to Eurovision were reported.
Investigations are still ongoing in a handful of cases connected to Eurovision. This applies, among other things, to two cases of suspected incitement against a national group where people in social media wrote anti-Semitic messages that could be considered as incitement against a national group. A person is being investigated for vandalism after painting a crosswalk in the colors of the Palestinian flag.
– There was a lot of focus on the security situation before Eurovision and the high police presence has certainly had a dampening effect. We managed to accommodate both the glitter party, the crowds and the general gatherings without any serious crimes being committed. We are very satisfied with that, says Petra Stenkula on the police's website.