The FBI National Academy’s retraining session held earlier this week in Helsinki focused on the threats, challenges and opportunities of social media from the perspective of law enforcement authorities. The event was hosted by the Finnish Police.
According to National Police Commissioner Seppo Kolehmainen , the topic is extremely relevant and important, and cooperation between different authorities and operators is crucial.
According to Kolehmainen, one can never be sure whether cyber security threats are internal or external or who the targets are.
“This is why we need continuous national and international cooperation and a clear division of responsibilities between different authorities,” he says..
The conference was attended by approximately 250 graduates of the FBI National Academy from around Europe.
Terror attacks and mass shootings also on the agenda
The three-day conference featured lectures by, among others, Head of Internal Security Strategy Ari Evwaraye from the Finnish Ministry of the Interior, security and privacy expert Mikko Hyppönen and a representative of the Finnish mobile game development company Supercell.
Other speakers included international experts from the European Strategic Communications Network (ESCN) and the FBI, for example.
In addition to social media, the participants discussed terror attacks and mass shootings and were treated to a presentation on the Finnish Police’s remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS).
Helsinki also played host to a meeting between Director of the FBI Christopher Wray and Finland’s National Police Commissioner Seppo Kolehmainen. The topics of the meeting included, among others, cooperation in combating cyber crime.
Prestigious training programme
“The programme is aimed at supporting and promoting the personal and professional development of law enforcement leaders in a changing operating environment,” explains Chief Superintendent Jaakko Sonck from the National Police Board of Finland.
The FBI National Academy is held four times a year in the United States and consists of an 11-week training course attended by approximately 250 American senior law enforcement professionals each time.
Each course also includes approximately 25 international candidates. The first course was run in 1935. Finland has been sending candidates to attend the training since 1986. A total of 21 Finnish police officers have graduated from the FBI National Academy so far, and they are currently employed at the National Police Board, the National Bureau of Investigation, the Finnish Security Intelligence Service and Helsinki Police Department.
Graduate network
The European alumni of the FBI National Academy have their own network called the FBI National Academy Associates (FBINAA European Chapter), which convenes annually to discuss recent developments around Europe.
Sonck sees the network as an important vehicle for sharing information and best practices and for increasing understanding.
“As the world changes, crime is also becoming increasingly international and organised. New forms of crime and new threats to internal security are on the rise. The world today is in a constant state of flux, which is something that the law enforcement community must react to and get used to,” he says.
The Helsinki conference was the 36th retraining session of the FBINAA European Chapter. Finland last hosted a similar event 20 years ago.
