Patrik Thunholm has had a diverse career, starting as a military officer and transitioning to the Swedish police. He has worked as an investigation leader, HR manager at the fire department, and at the Swedish Defense Research Institute. 

In an interview with May-Britt Rinaldo Ronnebro, (ret. chief superintendent from the Swedish National Police/ former President of IPA Section Sweden and Former Secretary General of the International Executive Board of IPA) he tells us about amongst other things How he met the King of Sweden on a mission in Mali! while at the same time teaching police cadets, with a focus on mental health.  He emphasizes the importance of communication and mental preparation in police work.

In fact he was the first in Sweden to look deeply into legislation related to drunk and drugged people and how they are cared for by police and other services. He currently works in operational communication at the Stockholm police.

Patrik is now starting to write his fourth Master thesis while also writing academic articles

Background:

• 1996-2000 Professional military officer at the Armed Forces, Air Force Ground Defense. 
• 2000-2002 Team manager/educator at Vittra education AB, Elementary and high school. 
• 2004-2015 Police Officer at the Swedish Police Authority, uniform real time unite and later preliminary investigation leader and engaged in professional  training. 
• 2016-present Reserve officer at the Armed Forces, Operational Communications Unit.
• 2015-2017 Business manager at the Fire brigade in Attunda working with personnel and administration. 
• 2017-2021 Analyst at the Total Defense Research Institute, the Asymmetric Threats Unit.
• 2022-now Police officer and multi-pracademic at the Swedish Police Authority,  Operational work, investigation, analysis, training. 

Takeaways

• Patrik Thunholm has had a diverse career, working in various roles within the military, police, fire department, and research institute.
• He currently focuses on operational communication at the Stockholm police, aiming to improve communication with different target audiences.
• Patrik is also involved in teaching police cadets, emphasizing the importance of mental health and effective communication in police work.
• He highlights the need for mental preparation and considering different scenarios in order to handle challenging situations as a police officer.

Sound Bites

• “I’m this kind of guy that I see opportunities and I want to develop as an individual.”
• “Extra mission in the mission, yes. Yes, yes.”
• “Imagine that you are the persons that you get this job to do this. What is the first thing that you think of and what goes on in your head?”

Chapters
00:00.  Introduction and Career Overview
08:02.  Operational Communication

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