Organisation and mandate

Brå is an agency under the auspices of the Ministry of Justice and a knowledge centre for the criminal justice system. The agency's mandate is to contribute to the development of knowledge within the criminal justice system and the criminal policy area, as well as to promote crime prevention work.

Brå is responsible for the official criminal justice statistics and other statistics, which includes producing, following, analysing, and reporting on criminality and the criminal justice system's responses to crime. For that purpose, Brå generates statistics which are based on large-scale surveys and other special data collection.

As an equally central task, Brå initiates and conducts research and development work which provides the agencies of the criminal justice system with a suitable basis for measures and prioritisations, as well as regularly assists the Government with criminal policy issues. The agency follows and analyses criminality and societal reactions to crime, and develops new sources of knowledge in the area. In addition, Brå assists the agencies of the criminal justice system by providing support which contributes to the development and improved efficiency of their activities.

Brå's mandate also includes developing crime prevention work on both the national, regional and local level. The need for high quality entails close contacts with universities and other institutions of higher learning, and the obligation to respond to the criminal justice system's need for methodology development and knowledge development requires a close and trusting collaboration.

The Swedish Center for Preventing Violent Extremism (CVE) External link. is placed under the auspices of Brå. The center shall, based primarily on crime policy grounds, strengthen and develop preventive work against violent extremism. The primary aim of the center is to prevent ideologically motivated criminality and terrorism in Sweden.

Brå has been in existence since 1974 and is lead by Director General Jonas Trolle.

Always cite Brå as source

When citing or otherwise using Brå:s material as a source, either by quoting a text or by reproducing tables, diagrams or figures, state the source as: Brå (The Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention). Please feel free to link directly to the publication or web page in question.

For use of copyrighted material, such as illustrations and photographs, permission is required from the copyright holder. Please contact kommunikation@bra.se for more information.