Gang-related shootings on the rise in Denmark

Compared to the past two years, the smell of gunpowder has really hit the air in 2016

What do Aalborg, Copenhagen, Søborg and Næstved have in common? They’ve all had a gang-related shooting in the past couple of days.

In fact, compared to 2014 and 2015, the number of gang-related shootings across Denmark in 2016 has shot up considerably, according to police figures.

“In recent years the number of shootings has remained reasonably stable, but we are up to significantly more this year,” Michael Kjeldgaard, the head of the National Investigation Centre (NEC), told Jyllands-Posten newspaper.

Last year, there were 17 gang-related shootings that led to five fatalities, while there were 16 shootings and no fatalities in 2014.

And while the police don’t want to release the exact figure so far for 2016 – they need to be validated first – the number is quite a bit higher.

READ MORE: Two men hit by gunfire in Copenhagen

Gov dragging feet
According to Trine Bramsen, the Socialdemokratiet spokesperson for judicial issues, the recent spike in shootings calls for swift political action.

“We are going to discuss the issue with the justice minister in November, but it should have happened a long time ago,” Bramsen told Jyllands-Posten.

Tighter legislation on probation and better police surveillance are among the topics up for discussion.

TOP STORIES

  • Diplomatic tensions between US and Denmark after spying rumors

    Diplomatic tensions between US and Denmark after spying rumors

    A Wall Street Journal article describes that the US will now begin spying in Greenland. This worries the Danish foreign minister, who wants an explanation from the US’s leading diplomat. Greenlandic politicians think that Trump’s actions increase the sense of insecurity

  • Diplomacy meets Westeros: a dinner with the King, Queen – and Jaime Lannister

    Diplomacy meets Westeros: a dinner with the King, Queen – and Jaime Lannister

    What do King Frederik X, Queen Mary, UN Secretary-General António Guterres, and Jaime Lannister have in common? No, this isn’t the start of a very specific Shakespeare-meets-HBO fanfiction — it was just Wednesday night in Denmark

  • Huge boost to halt dropouts from vocational education

    Huge boost to halt dropouts from vocational education

    For many years, most young people in Denmark have preferred upper secondary school (Gymnasium). Approximately 20 percent of a year group chooses a vocational education. Four out of 10 young people drop out of a vocational education. A bunch of millions aims to change that

  • Beloved culture house saved from closure

    Beloved culture house saved from closure

    At the beginning of April, it was reported that Kapelvej 44, a popular community house situated in Nørrebro, was at risk of closing due to a loss of municipality funding

  • Mette Frederiksen: “If you harm the country that is hosting you, you shouldn’t be here at all”

    Mette Frederiksen: “If you harm the country that is hosting you, you shouldn’t be here at all”

    With reforms to tighten the rules for foreigners in Denmark without legal residency, and the approval of a reception package for internationals working in the care sector, internationals have been under the spotlight this week. Mette Frederiksen spoke about both reforms yesterday.

  • Tolerated, but barely: inside Denmark’s departure centers

    Tolerated, but barely: inside Denmark’s departure centers

    Currently, around 170 people live on “tolerated stay” in Denmark, a status for people who cannot be deported but are denied residency and basic rights. As SOS Racisme draws a concerning picture of their living conditions in departure centers, such as Kærshovedgård, they also suggest it might be time for Denmark to reinvent its policies on deportation

Connect club

Connect Club is your gateway to a vibrant programme of events and an international community in Denmark.

Sign up here

Career

Want to advertise your job with CPH Post?

Contact us

Jobs