From theory to action and back again 

Sergeant Jussi Majanen
Police University College, Communication and Management Systems

Growing up, I was no more interested in playing cops and robbers than any other child in the neighbourhood, and I certainly never thought that I would join the police force. I have spent most of my career in customer service roles. After a spell as a tour guide abroad, I returned to work in a sports shop and started thinking about my options. I had friends who worked for the police and decided to give it a go myself. I studied hard for the entrance examination and was delighted to get in.

There were few vacancies with the police in my home town when I graduated, but my training thankfully also qualified me to work for the Emergency Response Centre Agency. I ended up getting a job with what was then the Pirkanmaa ERC. Working as an ERC operator gave me a new perspective on the work of both the police and other government agencies. In the summer of 2007, I joined the ranks of the uniformed police.

The work of uniformed police officers is exciting and varied. You never know what the next shift will throw at you. A quiet mid-week night can turn busy in an instant. The good thing about uniformed police work is that when you finish your shift, you are done. Someone else takes care of the questioning and other procedures. Your next shift will again bring something new and unexpected.
As a police officer, I get to help people every day. Helping people can mean anything from giving directions to a lost driver to talking someone out of suicide. The toughest situations are those where people are fleeing in a panic and the police has to evacuate a scene. Those kinds of situations really test the mettle of the police. The police needs to plan, survey, negotiate, give orders and stick to the chosen strategy to resolve the situation with as little damage as possible.

I left the uniformed police towards the end of 2018 and became a teacher at the Police University College. I teach our cadets how to use the police’s communication systems and field software. My long experience of practical police work comes in very handy, and I enjoy being able to share my expertise with the next generation of police officers. One of the best things about teaching is our highly motivated and well-mannered cadets.

I feel like my work is important and appreciated by the public. Studies show that trust in the police is extremely high in Finland, and I get to contribute to keeping it that way.

The police’s systems and technology are evolving at lightning speed in today’s world. The basics of police work, however, have not changed. We spend several hours every day talking with people and take enough notes to write a novel. It has been said that a career in policing is a career in writing. Talking is still our most important and least offensive weapon. Good communication skills can save an officer from many a wrestling match and soiled uniform.