Police to step up presence in schools
The police are to step up their presence in schools by offering nationwide virtual lessons to all schools in 2025. Under a new national model, the police will also support schools in problem-solving situations by being more accessible by phone or email.
The police are to step up their presence in schools by offering nationwide virtual lessons to all schools in 2025. Under a new national model, the police will also support schools in problem-solving situations by being more accessible by phone or email.
At a media event held by Eastern Uusimaa Police Department in Vantaa on Friday 22 November 2024, Minister of the Interior Mari Rantanen and National Police Commissioner Ilkka Koskimäki announced the use of additional funding of €11.089 million allocated to policing.
The media also had an opportunity to learn about police traffic surveillance as part of school safety work. Police traffic safety experts gave a presentation on police surveillance equipment and duties.
€2 million of the additional police funding will be allocated to school policing next year.
“Funding for school policing is a concrete example of how to strengthen the work of the police with children and young people. Besides this, it is important to make the necessary resources available to investigate crimes against children and offences committed by young people,” Minister of the Interior Mari Rantanen said at the event.
New national model for working with schools
Additional funding will enable the police to step up their presence in schools on 2025, and in particular in problem-solving situations, as well as in education in the rule of law. The police have designed a national cooperation model for working with schools.
“The police will be more accessible for problem solving cases in schools and have a presence through virtual lessons,” says National Police Commissioner Ilkka Koskimäki at the National Police Board.
All schools will be offered the chance to take part in nationwide virtual lessons run by the police. The lessons will be accompanied by support material available online and on social media channels. In addition to the nationwide lessons, additional lessons may be offered to schools virtually or in situ in the classroom, at the discretion of local police.
Guidelines drawn up for schools aim to clarify cooperation with schools nationwide. The guidelines explain when and what a school has a duty and right to report to an authority. In addition, they concretize the scope of police consultation and problem-solving in schools. In future, schools will have better access to the police by phone or email in problem situations.
In addition, the police will provide materials for teachers, guardians and young people to support discussion, including on social media channels.
Additional police funding to combat street gang criminality and juvenile delinquency, economic crime and domestic violence
The police received a total of €11.098 million in additional funding. Besides school policing, €5 million will be allocated to combat street gang criminality and juvenile delinquency, €3.5 million to step up the prevention of economic crime and a permanent increase of €0.589 million due to the discontinuation of mediation of domestic violence. Parliament will decide on the budget in December.
