Multicultural Outreach from the Swedish Police

A reader has translated an article from an edition of Metro International in Sweden:


AINA Will Attract Suburban “Kids”

Aina is Turkish-Swedish slang, and is an abbreviation of the Turkish slang expression aynasiz that means “without mirror”. The word hints at the police with the meaning that a police officer has no sense of shame and decency and consequently would not dare to look in a mirror. (Source: Z. Adami, Gringo)

A police car with the slang word for police “AINA” is supposed to tempt suburban “kids” to join the police corps. “The police believe they can reclaim the word and undramatize or defuse it. By using the same word as the kids in the immigrant suburbs you are creating a feeling of nearness,” says Zanyar Adami, editor in chief of the paper Gringo.


During the youth festival “Young 10 “ the police unveiled the renamed police car. The objective is to tempt youngsters with different ethnic backgrounds to join the corps for police education.

It is also part of the fight against juvenile delinquency, by investing in tempting new groups to join the police force. “Too many young people are drawn into gang criminality and we must all engage in trying to stop this. On way could be to get more police officers with experience from the suburbs,” says Chief Commissioner Carin Götblad to the Swedish News Agency TT.

Adami believes that the car will draw the attention of the “kids” and create a dialogue between them and the police.

“Is it enough to only show up a car with the word ‘AINA’ to reach suburb youngsters? — No, one PR campaign is not enough, but it shows that the police are receptive. I believe that it can tempt some to enlist,” says Adami.

Photo caption: Chief Commissioner Carin Götblad demonstrates the new police car that will tempt suburban “kids” to qualify as future police. Photo: Land Earthy/Scanpix