Advertisement

Swedish ‘bikini cop’ quits amid growing police crisis

Swedish ‘bikini cop’ quits amid growing police crisis - image
Instagram/Mikaela Kellner

Remember the bikini-wearing Swedish police officer who tackled a pickpocket in a Stockholm park? She’s resigning from the police force after 11 years of service.

Mikaela Kellner told Swedish tabloid Expressen that she wants to quit policing and focus on her work as a personal trainer. She cited the controversial overhaul of Sweden’s police forces as a primary reason for her change of career.

Mikaela Kellner/Facebook
Mikaela Kellner/Facebook. (Credit: Mikaela Kellner / Facebook)

In January 2015, the country’s police forces were reorganized under a centralized government banner called the Swedish Police Authority.

Story continues below advertisement

The move hasn’t been popular among police. In September, the Swedish Police Union claimed in a press release that the forces were averaging three resignations a day, and were at risk of losing a fifth of their personnel by 2020.

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.

Get breaking National news

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

READ MORE: ‘Bikini Cop’ tackles would-be pickpocket while sunbathing in Swedish park

Also in September, the Swedish Agency for Public Management released a report that found that local police forces were under-resourced, and that their needs weren’t sufficiently prioritized amid the national police overhaul.

Kellner garnered worldwide acclaim after a photo of her pinning a suspect to the ground went viral on Instagram. She was sunbathing with friends at the time when one of them had their cellphone swiped.

Sponsored content

AdChoices