The publicity manual jointly created by the National Police Board and the Police University College is now out. The manual is a compilation of key issues and solutions regarding the public nature of tasks carried out by the police.
“The manual’s purpose is to depict the publicity of the information police officers work with as comprehensively as possible considering the large number of regulations and the varying nature of the situations to which the regulations apply,” Detective Chief Superintendent Maarit Salomaa from the National Police Board explains.
Another key objective of the manual is to ensure uniform adherence of public officials to the Act on the Openness of Government Activities.
“In line with the principle of equal treatment, individual citizens should be treated the same in identical situations, and on the other hand the police should also be able to serve the media in the same way,” Salomaa says.
Salomaa believes that the most common situation in which the manual will be used is during pre-trial investigations when for example a journalist requests to obtain a copy of pre-trial investigation records.
According to the constitution of Finland, documents and other records held by authorities are public, unless access to them has been restricted on grounds of overriding public interest. However, the range of police tasks and duties has several limitations on these requirements.
The Finnish version of the publicity manual (Julkisuuskäsikirja) is available on the Police website
https://www.poliisi.fi/instancedata/prime_product_julkaisu/intermin/embeds/poliisiwwwstructure/85427_IP1708211_Kasikirja_poliisin_julkisuusasioista_nett.pdf?52d819dc9b5ed788
