Den digitala områdespolisen : och polisens närvaro på den digitala arenan

Sammanfattning

The rapid digitalisation of society has transformed patterns of communication, social interaction, and criminal activity, creating new challenges for law enforcement. In response, the Swedish Police has emphasised the need for increased police presence and engagement on digital platforms. As part of this development, the digital community police (digital områdespolis) has recently been introduced, yet limited knowledge exists regarding how this role is understood and applied in practice. This study aims to examine how the digital community police is perceived and utilised, and how the role relates to the strategic objectives set out in the Swedish Police Authority’s strategic operational plan (Polismyndighetens strategiska verksamhetsplan). The study adopts a qualitative research design with an inductive approach. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with six police employees operating at national, regional, and local levels, including both strategic and operational roles. The interview material was analysed using thematic analysis to identify recurring patterns and key themes. The findings indicate that the digital community police is primarily understood as an extension of traditional community policing into the digital arena, with a strong focus on, accessibility, dialogue, relationship-building and crime prevention. Respondents highlight the need for a digital transformation in policing, where physical and digital policework are integrated rather than treated as separate domains. Key themes include the importance of dialogue over one-way communication, the creation of engaging and credible content and local anchoring despite the borderless nature of digital environments. The study concludes that the digital community police has significant potential to strengthen local presence, trust, and crime prevention in line with the Police Authority’s strategic goals. However, clearer role definitions, organisational support, and long-term integration into everyday policework are required for the function to reach its full potential.