The Police Museum's new online exhibition “In Memoriam – Police killed in the line of duty” examines the history of police fatalities. The exhibition reveals for example the most dangerous types of assignments for police officers and how the work community responded to these events in different periods.
The first three decades of Finland’s independence, from 1918 to 1949, were the most dangerous period for the police. Almost three quarters of all police fatalities occurred then. The underlying factors were instability, an exceptionally large crime wave during the prohibition era, and little or no training for police officers. People had many different types of weapons at home, and handguns were relatively easy to obtain. In addition, bladed weapons could be carried in public on a belt until well into the 1940s.
“For a long time, police officers considered violence against them to be part of their job, and this perception persists to some extent. The job carries risks, and the police do not shy away from them. Although the statistics indicate that the 21st century is the safest period in terms of police fatalities, violent resistance to officers has increased,” says Maritta Jokiniemi, Curator at the Police Museum.
The “In Memoriam” online exhibition includes a database of 164 police fatalities. In this exhibition, “police fatality” refers to the death of a police officer or a person working in the police, whether they were on duty or off duty, and where the fatality is connected to the person's profession. In this case, the death was caused by violence or a life-threatening situation, such as an accident or an extraordinary period, such as war.
“The criteria for what constitutes a police fatality have varied over time. The “In Memoriam” online exhibition includes not only violent deaths, but also road accidents involving police fatalities, accidents during training exercises, and situations where police officers have intervened in crimes while off duty," explains Maritta Jokiniemi.
Statistics and touching reports
The database is based on open, public sources, such as articles from newspapers and police trade journals.
“The data on the oldest police fatalities in Finland is fragmented. Unfortunately, some cases now exist only as memories handed down within families, while others have been lost to the passage of time. This is why the information found by genealogists and historians is so valuable to us researchers.
The “In Memoriam” online exhibition provides, among other things, the following information about police fatalities:
- How it happened: 56% of police fatalities were committed with a firearm, 14% with a bladed weapon, 7% occurred in traffic, and 4% were the outcome of assault. 19% of the cases were connected to military operations.
- Categories of personnel killed in police fatalities: Of those killed, 85% were uniformed police officers in the field, 10% were detectives or criminal investigators, and 5% were other police administration employees.
- Sex: All of those who died were men.
- Regions: Statistically, police work has been most dangerous in large cities, but violence has also occurred in rural areas. Isolated incidents, such as the police murders in Pihtipudas in 1969, significantly increase the figures for specific localities.
- The most dangerous missions: Apprehending a person or preventing an escape, disturbances in public places, and call-outs to people’s homes.
- Violence led to the deaths of 73% of the police officers killed in the line of duty. The proportion of violent deaths was particularly high in the 1920s, 1930s and 1950s.
- Traffic incidents in which a police officer has been run over and killed have often been treated by the courts on lesser charges, such as grossly negligent homicide and/or causing a traffic hazard.
- In the 21st century, 2 police officers have died in the line of duty as a result of violence, 1 police officer has died in a road accident while off duty, and 1 guard working at a police department has died as a result of an accident.
Alongside the statistics and database, the online exhibition provides for example insights into how the work community has come to terms with police fatalities in different periods and how some cases have led to improvements in occupational safety in the police.
“A police fatality is a huge tragedy for the police community, for those close to the police, and for society as a whole. The topic of this online exhibition is an important and painful reminder that missions have not always ended well. The exhibition includes touching stories and shocking recollections of near misses and injuries. I am sure we all share in the heartfelt hope that this memorial database will not need any new entries in the future.”
The English version of the online exhibition will be released later in December 2025.
