SVT Nyheter can reveal in an investigation that crime can continue to take place in several hotels in Stockholm despite the police knowing about it.
The authority works actively against crime in hotels - but legislation makes their work more difficult.
Patrik Jensen-Sahlström, who is group leader at the police's human trafficking section, says that there is no legal support for the police to share classified information with private actors, such as property owners.
- It does not matter if it is on our initiative or at their request, or if it is verbal or in writing, he says.
Calling for a change in the law
In practice, this means, according to Patrik Jensen-Sahlström, that property owners who rent out premises to criminals can choose to look through their fingers because they have not received any formal information from the police.
Pursuing a legal process to get rid of the hotel can also cost both time and money.
- There are months of different agencies that must be involved and much of it must be run by the individual property owner.
It is probably very easy to look away, he says.
The property owner: "Could have helped"
Magnus Berglund, responsible for Swedish investments at the company Capman Real Estate, which was the landlord for one of the hotel operations that SVT reviewed, emphasizes that the company takes measures as soon as it becomes aware of crime.
He agrees that privacy legislation should be reviewed.
- I would only be positive about a loosening.
If the police is sitting on information about crime, we would of course like to know it.
Then we would have been able to help deal with the problem.
It affects us and our investments, he says.