Preventive operations at Oulu Police Department

Policing also includes crime and disturbance prevention. This is a part of the usual work of the police, but we also have various preventive operations such as

• Anchor work,
• community police operations,
• multi-professional risk assessment meetings,
• school police activities and
• so-called HAH operations focusing on persons of concern.

The preventive operations can also include the police expert lectures, public service information to promote integration of immigrants, everyday security and traffic safety lectures to senior citizens as well as PR and trade fare tasks.

The preventive policing work is thus multifaceted. This site offers information on the various preventive activities of the Oulu Police Department, providing the contact details of the police officers dedicated to these tasks.

If you would like to ask the police to participate in events or give lectures on some prevention topic, please contact the preventive operation coordinators. You can reach them by mailing them at ennaltaestava.oulu@poliisi.fi or by calling the following phone numbers:

• Jokilaaksot 0295 464 182,
• Kainuu 0295 464 278,
• Koillismaa 0295 464 625,
• Oulu region 0295 465 914.

Anchor work

The purpose of the Anchor work is to promote the wellbeing of the young and families, and to intervene with a criminal cycle as early as possible. The multi-professional Anchor team includes professionals from the police, social welfare and healthcare as well as youth service experts. The team meets with the young person and their parents as early as possible after concern for the young has emerged. If necessary, the team guides the young person towards assistance or support.

In the Oulu region, the Anchor work currently focus on young people and families who live in Oulu. The Oulu Anchor team’s objective is to prevent any criminal behaviour of the underaged. In a meeting organised by Anchor team, the young person’s and their family’s life situation is looked at from a comprehensive perspective. Moreover, the team goes to shopping centres, youth centres and other places where the young tend to gather to spend time, to meet with the young and talk with them.

In the municipalities of the Jokilaaksot, Raahi, Pyhäjoki and Siikajoki have Anchor operations while the Kainuu municipalities with Anchor are Kajaani, Kuhmo, Sotkamo and Suomussalmi. Koillismaa does not offer any Anchor operations.

Contact information of Anchor teams are listed at Ankkuritoiminta.fi.

Community police

The duties of the community police is to be visible when controlling the areas in question, keeping contacts with the stakeholders in the area. In their work, the community police employs a local problem solving model with the objective of focusing on local problems and looking for customised solutions to them, in collaboration with other actors.

Multi-professional risk assessment meeting

Multi-professional risk assessment meeting (in Finnish moniammatillinen riskinarviointikokous, MARAK) is a method to assess the risk of serious domestic violence and to help the victim. It is intended for all those suffering from or living under the threat of domestic violence. The MARAK team will prepare a risk assessment and make a plan to help those involved. The team includes representatives of the central actors in this field.

The idea is that the person in need of help will talk to one professional who will bring the issue forward to the entire MARAK to discuss. This way, the client need not contact several separate parties or authorities in a life situation that is already exhausting.

School Police

The main duty of the school police officers is to provide preventive legality and traffic education to children and the young of various ages. They participate in teaching, campaigns and events and talk in teacher-parent events at the schools. If necessary, the school police officers reconciliate long-term and difficult bullying situations and intervene with crime that has taken place at schools.

The Oulu Police Department only has full-time school police officers in the Oulu region. In other areas, the police serves the schools and institutes of learning within the time dedicated to their main functions. The earlier the institute of learning asks the police to participate, for example, in teaching or an event, the better opportunities we will have to accommodate the request.

Please call the phone number

• 0295 465 914 when you wish a school police officer to visit schools in Hailuoto, Kiiminki, Oulu, Oulunsalo or Ylikiiminki, or the middle schools in Kempele.
• 0295 465 316 when you wish a school police officer to visit schools in Haukipudas, Ii, Liminka, Lumijoki, Muhos, Tyrnävä, Utajärvi, Vaala or Yli-Ii, the primary schools in Kempele or the school in Linnakangas.

Persons of concern

A person of concern (in Finnish huolta aiheuttava henkilö, HAH) refers to an individual who causes concern because of their behaviour, ideas or life situation. The person may have violent thoughts, or express them in a visible way, for example, by spreading fear-inducing materials online. The police tries to keep contacts with such individuals to find out about their state of mind and health.

The personnel specialised in HAH operation at the Oulu Police Department work in Oulu but the area of operation comprises the entire Northern Ostrobothnia and Kainuu.