Police statistics for January–June: Traffic monitoring successfully targeted – growth in narcotics offences and sexual harassment are challenges

Despite the shortage of resources, the police were able to improve public safety in the areas of ​​public order and security in January–June, as well as in combating traditional crimes.

“Assaults in public places have declined and crime clearance rates have improved slightly,” says Deputy National Police Commissioner Tomi Vuori of the National Police Board.

According to Vuori, traffic monitoring has been successfully targeted. Despite a slightly smaller workload than the previous year, more drunk driving and other traffic offences were detected than before. At the same time, the decline in traffic offences and the increase in the number of warnings indicate a decline in more severe speeding offences.

“However, the police face the challenge of responding to the growing number of offences involving driving under the influence of drugs, and higher rates of narcotics offences and sexual harassment.”

Various additional legal obligations imposed on the investigation process, as well as lack of resources, are extending investigation times. With regard to licence services, the increase in the issuance of ID cards indicates that citizens have discovered the benefits of the card.

Finland is a safer country

The total number of notifications of criminal offences (excluding traffic offences) continues to decline. In January–June 2018, around 201,000 crimes were reported to the police, which is almost 5% less than in the corresponding period of 2017.

There was an 8.3% decrease in property offences, a 5.5% decrease in violent offences and a 34.4% decrease in financial offences.

The number of crime reports (excluding traffic offences), in which a foreign national was the complainant, has declined slightly. On the other hand, the proportion of offences in which a foreign national was the suspected offender remained the same compared to last year.

The slight increase in crime clearance rates was also positive. The clearance rate of criminal offences committed by an unknown offender improved in particular. This is true, despite the number of police officers remaining unchanged in practice.

Investigation times have slightly lengthened. The reasons for this are lack of resources and various statutory reporting obligations introduced over the years, which have increased investigators’ workloads.

Police assistance is being requested more often

The police had almost 510,000 emergency assignments in early 2018. Emergency assignments increased by 9,526 missions in total compared to the same period in 2017.

People are increasingly turning to the police in non-urgent situations, which have seen the largest increase in assignments.

During the same period, the number of both category A, and category A and B, assignments decreased. Despite this, response times have lengthened for both A and A+B assignments. This is due to the fact that the number of police officers has decreased relative to recorded assignments.

A positive feature of emergency assignments is the reduction in domestic disturbance assignments, which is verified by the reduction in reports of domestic violence.

The targeting of traffic monitoring gets results

The number of drunk driving offences in January–June rose compared to the previous year. Growth is particularly high among people under the age of 24.

The fact that the number of working hours and breathalyser tests used in monitoring have fallen slightly from the previous year indicates that police monitoring, and the timing and location of targeting, have yielded results.

The rate of driving under the influence of narcotics has increased among incidents of drunk driving. This finding is supported by the increase in the number of narcotics offences reported.

The growth in the effectiveness of automated traffic monitoring is also explained by the more successful targeting of monitoring, since slightly fewer working hours were used for automated monitoring than last year. A number of new areas have become subject to intense traffic monitoring. An increasing amount of automated monitoring consists of warnings, which explains the decline in the number of traffic offences.

Crime prevention by the police aims to have a more lasting impact on problems and their side-effects

The investigation of more extensive crimes ties down resources, which is reflected in prolonged investigation times.

Among serious crimes, the number of drug offences has increased, despite the fall in the number of aggravated drug offences reported to the police. Narcotics offences have therefore become more prominent in the daily lives of citizens.

Combating serious offences, such as drug-related crime, requires detection activities by the police themselves in particular. Changing trends, such as the migration of drug sales online, bring their own additional challenges to police investigations.

In principle, combating serious crime of this type involves long-term investigations, which tie up police resources in extensive cases for longer times and are often international. Existing extensive cases are investigated first, before new ones can be initiated.

The police aim to have a greater impact on both the problem and its side effects visible in the everyday lives of citizens.

The police need close stakeholder cooperation and discussions to improve public attitudes

Despite the fact that the number of rape offences reported to the police have fallen, sexual harassment has increased – in step with other sexual offences – compared to the previous year.

The number of reports of the sexual exploitation of children has increased. The Internet enables crimes of this type. On the other hand, general awareness of this criminal phenomenon has improved, which has lowered the threshold for reporting.

Combating sexual harassment is challenging. To succeed, in addition to extensive stakeholder cooperation, this will require a public discussion and awareness raising in order to improve public attitudes.

Citizens have discovered the benefits of identity cards

The growth in the number of identity cards granted continues (12.7%), due to an easier application process. If a previous passport or identity card has been applied for during the preceding six years, by making a personal visit to a police station, there is no need for another visit to obtain a new identity card.

An identity card issued by the police includes a Citizen Certificate from the Population Register Centre, which enables the holder's reliable identification for the use of electronic services.

Police statistic 1.1.-30.6.2018 pdf, 324,2 kB

Police statistics, crimes comitted by foreign nationals pdf, 348,9 kB

Police statistics 1.1.-30.6., asylum seeker pdf, 304 kB