Homicide clearance in Sweden 1990–2013 with special reference to firearm-perpetrated homicides

ABSTRACT

Studies on homicide clearance in the Scandinavian context are very rare. In this article, we explore the homicide clearance rate in Sweden with special reference to firearm-perpetrated cases. The study is based on homicide research data collected by the Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention, comprising all 2160 homicides known to the Swedish authorities during the period 1990–2013. The annual clearance rate varied between 74 and 90%, with an overall minor decrease since the 1990s. However, there has been a considerable decrease in the clearance rate for firearm-perpetrated homicides. It can be concluded that this decrease is due to a shift in the characteristics of firearm-perpetrated offences, with homicides committed in public places against criminally active male victims having become more frequent. This finding is generally consistent with theories which argue that homicide clearance rates are predominantly affected by case-specific, non-discretional factors beyond the control of the police. The practical implications of the study are that investigative efforts should be more intense in cases where a male has been shot in a public place, and that homicides related to criminal milieus should be investigated by specialized units.

KEYWORDS:

• Homicide
• homicide investigations
• murder clearances
• gun violence
• Sweden

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank PhD David Shannon at the National Council for Crime Prevention, Professor Andreas Duit at the University of Stockholm, Associate Professor Alexandra Segerberg at the University of Stockholm, and PhD Thomas Masterman at Karolinska Institutet for proof-reading this article.