Netflix dramatizes the pioneers – the first female police officers in Sweden
On October 3, Netflix will premiere the series Skiftet , which is based on true events. The series depicts the first female police officers in Sweden and their entry into service in Stockholm's most notorious neighborhood – Klara.
Skepticism and harsh conditions
When the first female constables were hired in January 1958, many questioned whether they would be up to the job. The Klara area, which stretched around the Central Station and down towards Sergels Torg, was known as the city's most troubled district. Here were the large beer cafes that never closed, bars open all night, prostitutes, drunkenness, fights and international pickpocket gangs.
Placing women here was considered by many to be both risky and ill-considered. But the reality turned out to be different.
Real cops
Police officers like Viola Hansson , married to a constable, and Monika Kvarnström , 25, single, quickly showed that they were just as capable as their male colleagues. They patrolled the streets, intervened in fights, and directed traffic on Kungsgatan.
Kvarnström particularly remembered how she stood in the middle of rush hour traffic and stopped the cars with a firm arm movement.
" It's just the skirts that are impractical. You have to be careful not to get caught in a bumper," she said in an interview.
Signe Ekström , who came from Helsingborg, also testified about the differences in Stockholm:
— Stockholmers could be a little more helpful in critical situations. Often people just stand and watch when we intervene.
Patrol in the Clear Night
The night shifts were often the most demanding. The women had to move between the taverns, break up fights and handle everything from attempted robberies to drunkenness cells. With whistles in hand and report pads in their pockets, they stood shoulder to shoulder with their male colleagues.
Despite resistance and mistrust, they quickly proved their competence. No one backed down, no one backed down. On the contrary, their presence became a symbol that female police officers were not just an experiment – but the future.
From reality to drama
It is this environment that Netflix is now taking its cue from with The Shift . The series follows a group of young women who enter Klara in 1958, in a world marked by both social unrest and internal conflicts within the corps.
The cast includes Josefin Asplund , Agnes Rase and Malin Persson , along with Christopher Wagelin , Hannes Fohlin and Rasmus Luthander . Their performances portray the courage, adversity and strength required to take a place in a uniform when few believed it was possible.
The Shift premieres on October 3 on Netflix . The series consists of six episodes and is based on true events.
The first Swedish female police officers.
Monika Kvarngård from Jämtland, who in January 1958 was one of the first batch of newly graduated female police officers. In a report published in Femina no. 34 in 1958 with photographer Kristoffersson's pictures, the reader gets an insight into their work in what was then considered Stockholm's worst district, Klarakvarteren. It also included the so-called Träsket, which referred to the area Berzelii Park-Norrmalmstorg-Kungsträdgården.
The job also includes directing traffic, like here on Kungsgatan. Monika Kvarngård is the youngest of the female police officers.
Viola Hansson, who in January 1958 was one of the first batch of newly graduated female police officers.
She is seen in a so-called can from where she directed traffic. You were exposed to the weather and cold and had to wait for the next police officer to take over before you could get out.
Monika Kvarngård in January 1958 was one of the first batch of newly graduated female police officers. Her job also includes towing illegally parked cars. Like here when the parking meter shows red, she makes careful notes in her notebook.
