The Police collaborated with other authorities during the intensified controls of the hunting season opening taking place in the weekend from 20 to 21 August 2020.
On 20 and 21 August, the Police collaborated with other authorities in controls of the opening of the waterfowl and bear hunting seasons, working together with the Border Guard, game management associations and Metsähallitus (National Board of Forestry) game and fisheries wardens. The controls were focused on locally and regionally relevant themes, mainly waterfowl hunting in the rest of the country. Most of the exceptional permits granted for bear hunting were subject to action bans as a result of complaints, and bear hunting controls were focused to the extent there were hunting licenses not involving action bans. The focusing of controls aimed at reaching and impacting as many hunters as possible as well as at informing the general public about the Police operations.
The nationwide control operations of the Police amount to 650 working hours, which translates into a good 90 person-workdays. The public was actively informed about the controls locally as well as through the social media channels. The controlling authorities met 560 hunters in person.
During the controls, the Police recorded 31 warnings, 2 petty fine orders, 5 requests for fine and 5 crime reports. The most common legal classification was hunting infraction. Moreover, the administrative procedures started by the Police included 2 investigations related to the possession of firearms.
On a nationwide scale, it is reasonable to say that the majority of the hunters abide very well by the hunting legislation and the violations detected in the controls are of minor and slight importance. Although the Police recorded a slightly more sanctions than in the preceding years, the numbers are still very small in proportion to the number of hunters. Serious cases of negligence or crimes were not reported.
The intensified controls by the Police have been well received not only by the cooperation authorities but also by the hunters. Wilderness controls in collaboration with other authorities and the respective information operations were efficient and impactful, and the controls were widely seen as a positive and necessary exercise. The National Police Board expresses its gratitude to the hunters, the cooperation partners and the Police Departments for a successful thematic control operation.
