Swedish police have called on the government to remove their full names and social security numbers from official identification, fearing the information could be used by criminals.
The request comes after the police authority noted last year that many officers were reluctant to show their official police identification due to fears of retaliation as the identification cards can be photographed and given to criminals, Sweden’s Police Union magazine reports.
The police authority says they want to change the current identification card to only include the officer’s surname and first initials and noted that those who want to complain about officer conduct would still be able to do using the identification card number.
“It does not change so much if it says C. Nichols on my service card. My identity is still cleared. More robust measures are needed,” Ombudsman Charlotte Nichols said.
Sweden has seen a number of attacks on police officers in recent years, including the bombing of a police station in Helsingborg in 2017 that was described as an “attack against our democracy” by Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven.
Earlier this month, another explosive device was found inside a moped at a police evidence storage warehouse in Linköping. The bomb squad accidentally blew up the entire warehouse when the controlled explosion created a much larger detonation than expected.
Officers have also been attacked on multiple occasions while responding to calls in so-called “vulnerable areas”, often referred to as no-go zones.
Video released in 2017 showed officers in several Stockholm no-go zones being pelted with rocks, being punched, and having other types of objects thrown at them by groups of young men.
During the video, which comes from police body cams, local youths can be heard telling officers “don’t think you are at home here, man,” and another stating, “you are not in charge here”.
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