[WSF-Discuss] Malmö police report leadership for 'incompetence'

[CACIM]

*Malmö police report leadership for 'incompetence'*

Published: 22 Sep 08 08:24 CET
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/14480/20080922/

Around 40 police <http://www.thelocal.se/tag/police> officers from Malmö
have submitted complaints to the force's senior safety representative in
Skåne <http://www.thelocal.se/tag/sk%E5ne> charging police leadership for
"weakness, incompetence, and bad planning" in its preparation preparation
the weekend's demonstrations.

The frustration began a street party held Friday in conjunction with
the European
Social Forum <http://www.thelocal.se/tag/European_Social_Forum> in Malmö
ended with stone throwing and vandalism.

According to the complaints, the police on the street were told to take off
their protective helmets in instead wear their regular uniform hats, which
meant that police leadership endangered officers, writes the Sydsvenskan
newspaper.

The complaints relate to "a case of workplace injury" and will now be taken
up by the senior safety official for the Skåne police, Kaj Svensson.

Chief Commander Håkan Jarborg-Eriksson told the newspaper that it isn't the
leadership which decides whether or not the helmets are removed. Rather, the
decision is taken by the field commander on the scene.

The police had consciously chosen a wait-and-see approach during the
European Social Forum.

Several officers wanted to do more than was authorized during Friday's
disturbances.

Jarborg-Eriksson theorizes that frustration related to the perceived lack of
action taken by police may be the motivation behind the complaints.

*TT/The Local (news at thelocal.se/08 656 6518)*
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