Questions about Staffan

[gkmoberg1]

Has it been discussed what Staffan's position is? Is he a patrolman, a detective, a senior detective? Something else?

For example, the novel mentions him going to and from Åkeshov. But I am not sure what this means. Åkeshov is at least a Tunnelbanan stop on the same line as Vällingby Räcskta and Blackeberg. It appears to be a small village with an historic castle. Is there some significance to this for the story? For instance, Tommy states that he knows Staffan will get off from his shift at Åkeshov at 8pm. So, then, is Staffan an officer or security guard assigned to monitoring a subway stop or some site there?

[gkmoberg1]

Okay, Åkeshov is likely mentioned in regard to Staffan because at that point the authorities are searching the nearby Judarn forest for the escaped Håkan. In my stumbling about in my e-book version of the novel, I forgot where the plot was at the point when Staffan is heading off to Åkeshov.

Yet, I remain unsure of what Staffan's role is.

Another question: When Håkan is at the hospital and is questioned by the detective, are we to think that is Staffan? I don't think so.

[metoo]

IF I remember correctly, Staffan wears a uniform, which implies that he is a patrolman.

[gkmoberg1]

I only have the English version as an e-book. But in it, there is almost no use of the words detectives or inspectors. Now, much is told from the viewpoint of Tommy, Oskar, Locke and others who have little involvement with the polis. So the lack of accurate and definitive statements as to which police person had which rank and had controls over this and that, this makes sense. In my poking about on the web, I have found some material on the organization of Sweden's police force. However much of that is based on the current status or the status after changes such as that in 1984.

For example, it is unclear what region commissioner Gunnar Holmberg was in control of. It appears that boundaries have shifted over time and there is no "this was the layout in 1981" map. Yet, I can make a reasonable guess. The flow and outcome of the novel does not bend on any points of police organization. The police play a distinctly background role throughout LTROI. Same as in Little Star, I notice.

[a_contemplative_life]

It always seemed a little ambiguous to me as well. Sorry I can't help more.

[gkmoberg1]

Getting away from Staffan for the moment... In the Martin Beck series, does anybody know Martin's role? He appears to be a form of detective that operates on the national level. In the book Roseanna (the first book) (approx 1965), he travels from his home near Stockholm to a crime scene which is well to the west. This cannot be in the same polis jurisdiction hence I suspect he is in some role akin to say an FBI investigator in the U.S.

[metoo]

According to Wikipedia, Martin Beck is a member at riksmordkommissionen, a national resource that can be requested by local police to assist with murder investigations.