Swedish Security Service

See also: Swedish Military Intelligence and Security Service

Swedish Security Service
Säkerhetspolisen (SÄPO)
Coat of arms of Säkerhetspolisen
Agency overview
Formed1 October 1989 (1989-10-01)
Preceding agency
  • National Police Board's Department of Security
HeadquartersBolstomtavägen 2, Solna, Sweden
59°21′09.5″N 18°00′38.3″E / 59.352639°N 18.010639°E / 59.352639; 18.010639
EmployeesApproximately 1,400 (2020)[1]
Annual budgetSEK 1.56 billion (2019)[2]
Minister responsible
Agency executive
Parent agencyMinistry of Justice
Websitewww.sakerhetspolisen.se

The Swedish Security Service (Swedish: Säkerhetspolisen [ˈsɛ̂ːkɛrheːtspʊˌliːsɛn],[Nb 1] abbreviated SÄPO [ˈsɛ̌ːpʊ] ⓘ; until 1989 Rikspolisstyrelsens säkerhetsavdelning, abbreviated RPS/Säk[3]) is a Swedish government agency organized under the Ministry of Justice. It operates as a security agency responsible for counter-espionage, counter-terrorism, as well as the protection of dignitaries and the constitution. The Swedish Security Service is also tasked with investigating crimes against national security and terrorist crimes.[4][5][6] Its main mission, however, is to prevent crimes, not to investigate them. Crime prevention is to a large extent based on information acquired via contacts with the regular police force, other authorities and organisations, foreign intelligence and security services, and with the use of various intelligence gathering activities, including interrogations, telephone tapping, covert listening devices, and hidden surveillance cameras.[7][8]

The Service was, in its present form, founded in 1989, as part of the National Police Board and became an autonomous police agency on 1 January 2015.[9][10] National headquarters are located at Bolstomtavägen[11] in south-east Solna since 2014, drawing together personnel from five different locations into a single 30,000 m2 (320,000 sq ft) HQ facility.[12][13]

  1. ^ Swedish Security Service 2020, p. 68.
  2. ^ "Regleringsbrev för budgetåret 2019 avseende Säkerhetspolisen" [Regulation letter for fiscal year 2019 regarding the Swedish Security Service]. Swedish Financial Management Authority. 20 December 2018.
  3. ^ Rikets säkerhet och den personliga integriteten. De svenska säkerhetstjänsternas författningsskyddade verksamhet sedan år 1945. (SOU 2002:87), p. 15.
  4. ^ Swedish Security Service 2013, p. 8.
  5. ^ Swedish Security Service 2015, 'Yearbook', p. 9.
  6. ^ SFS 1984:387, § 3.
  7. ^ SOU 2012:44, pp. 114, 118–123.
  8. ^ 2014/15:JuU2.
  9. ^ Swedish Security Service 2015, 'History'.
  10. ^ 2013/14:JuU1.
  11. ^ "Kontakta oss - Säkerhetspolisen". Sakerhetspolisen.se. Retrieved 15 October 2018.
  12. ^ Törnmalm 2010.
  13. ^ Skanska 2015.


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