När alla förhör ska spelas in : Polisers upplevelser av kravet på inspelade förhör vid bötesbrott

Sammanfattning

The recording of police interviews is widely promoted as a safeguard for legal certainty and accountability within the criminal justice process. However, its role in minor offence cases remains less clearly understood. This study examines how police officers perceive the requirement to record interviews in such cases and how it affects their practical work and discretionary decision-making. The study is based on semi-structured interviews with nine frontline police officers and applies thematic analysis informed by Lipsky’s theory of street-level bureaucracy. The findings show that recording is understood as an important legal safeguard, but that its practical relevance in minor offence cases is often perceived as limited. Recorded interviews are rarely used in subsequent proceedings and generally have little impact on how interviews are conducted. The results reveal a tension between legal frameworks that allow contextual adaptation and organisational practices that apply recording in a more standardised manner. Recording also functions as a form of organisational control through the oversight of work processes. The study highlights a discrepancy between formal intentions and practical implementation, showing how standardised requirements may lead to routine measures with limited practical use in the subsequent legal process.