Finland: police & security agencies
01 January 1991
Finland: police & security agencies
bacdoc July=1995
The information in this country file was first published in the
handbook "Statewatching the new Europe" (November 1993). It was
compiled by Peter Klerks and extracted from a longer report which
is available from: The Domestic Security Research Foundation, PO
Box 11178, 1001 GD, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Finland
337,030 km², 4,991,131 inhabitants
Long-form name: Republic of Finland
Type: republic
Capital: Helsinki
Administrative divisions: 12 provinces (laanit, singular--laani).
Constitution: 17 July 1919
Legal system: civil law system based on Swedish law; Supreme
Court may request legislation interpreting or modifying laws;
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Executive branch: president, prime minister, deputy prime
minister, Council of State (Valtioneuvosto)
Legislative branch: unicameral Eduskunta
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Korkein Oikeus)
I. POLICE STUCTURES & forces
Total no. of police officers: 10,157 (excluding the Border
Guard). Women in the police: ± 5% (6.6% in the Criminal Police,
3.6% in the Uniformed Police). No. of police officers per 100,000
inhabitants: 203 (EC av. 338).
The Suomen Poliisi (Finnish Police) are organised on three
levels: the Police Department of the Ministry of the Interior,
regional administration is within the Provincial Administrative
Boards, and the provinces are divided into police districts for
local administration (Helsinki NCB 1989). The head of the Police
Department, the Chief Director of the Police, is both the
administrative and operational head of all Finnish police forces.
There are three operational police units under the Ministry: the
Keskusrikospoliisi (KRP, Central Criminal Police who maintain
criminal data banks, the Interpol NCB and central forensic
services and handles major cases), the Mobile Police (LP, 750
strong, assistance in riot situations, land traffic control and
national police reserve) and the SUPO (state security police, 160
strong).
On a regional level the Superintendent of the County Police
in each of the 12 provinces is in charge of day-to-day police
operations, and the local police district (usually about 12
police officers) is the administrative unit. In 1989 there were
27 City Police Departments and 226 Rural Police Districts. In the
urban police departments officers only undertake police tasks,
but in rural areas the police chiefs also act as public
prosecutors in the lower courts.
The Ministry of the Interior also controls the Border Guard,
a 3,700-strong paramilitary force which maintains public order
and safety along the borders and coastal areas. The Border Guard
also acts as a police auxiliary unit.
Special Units
The Osasto Karhu (`Bear Unit') of the Helsinki Mobile Police
Department, created in 1977, is Finland's anti-terrorist unit.
It is controlled directly by the Interior Ministry and has
nation-wide responsibilities.
Weaponry and special equipment
All police officers in the field carry a service pistol. Rifles
and sub machine guns are available for special occasions.
Arrests and the treatment of detainees
Police may hold a suspect for up to seven days without charge.
The suspect has access to a lawyer during that time.
Accountability
There is a Parliamentary Ombudsman who has wide authority to
enter prisons and police facilities.
II. INTERNAL SECURITY AGENCY
The Security Police (SUPO) investigates offences against the
state and is one of three operational police units in the
Department for Police Affairs within the Ministry of the
Interior. It has 12 district offices. The Finnish Security Police
have no powers of arrest or detention nor can they make house
searches, which are carried out by the CID. For several years,
it has received Trevi briefings from Denmark.
Source: Statewatch database on the WWW