7.7.2026 | Online sexual violence directed at children is becoming more common – prevention requires open discussion and vigilance

Bullying at school can be a crime A nasty phenomenon in the school world is bullying. Bullying comes in many forms. It can be mental violence by shutting someone out of a group, name-calling, or physical violence. Nowadays bullying often occurs th...

Sex offences In 2021, nearly 5,400 sexual offences were reported to the Police of Finland, much more than half of which were targeted at children. In addition, the Police of Finland investigated more than 850 offences related to sexual imagery of ...

Young offenders The minimum age of criminal liability in Finland is 15 years. Pre-trial investigations into crimes committed by children under 15 years of age are closed automatically in the absence of criminal liability. The police’s pre-trial in...

Theft and petty theft Stealing another person’s property is a theft. Theft is punishable only when it is intentional. The perpetrator must know that the property belongs to someone else. Attempted theft is also punishable. In addition, a person fo...

Crimes come in many forms The common denominator is that crimes violate someone else’s rights. The channels and phenomena of offences change and evolve often in time with technological progress. In this section, you will find information on the mo...

Educational visits and open days The National Police Board’s staff can be invited to talk about police work at schools, nurseries, parents’ evenings, trade fairs and other similar events. Engaging in this kind of cooperation with schools and youth...

Youth work The police is actively involved in a multidisciplinary network of professionals dedicated to promoting the well-being of children and adolescents and preventing crime. The network also seeks to prevent violent extremism and radicalisati...

4.7.2025 | The Police in Ostrobothnia request that the parents of the missing family be remanded in custody in absentia

Preventive operations at Oulu Police Department Photo by: Paula Tavasti 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, co...

8.7.2025 | Parents of missing family remanded in absentia – police continue search efforts

Identity card for a minor Even young children need their own travel document. You can submit an electronic application for a minor online the same as for adults, but almost all minors are required to visit a police station for identification. A vi...

Minor's passport Finnish citizens who apply for a passport are issued a passport to demonstrate that they are entitled to a travel document for the purpose of international travel, unless otherwise prohibited by law. Minors, too, need to have thei...

What does trafficking in human beings mean? Human trafficking does not mean a sale as a single event. Human trafficking is a process of exploitation, where the perpetrator tries to gain financial profit by subjugating the victim by different means...

Restraining order A restraining order is one way to stop harassment, threats, and unwanted messages. A restraining order can also be used to prevent violence and new crimes. What does a restraining order mean? Constant harassment can be involved i...

Police en Newsroom Blog Many risks lurking for older people 17.3.2025 13.54 Blog Children and young people are particularly vulnerable groups in society. Of course, so are many others, such as various minorities or those struggling with diverse pr...

Public disturbances The investigation of various disturbances and offences related to them is part of the police’s duties. Typically, security stewarding duties are performed by uniformed police officers. Public disturbances can occur anywhere peo...

9.1.2026 | In December, the Helsinki Police Department responded to several emergency calls related to TikTok challenges, in which children as young as 10 attempted to climb onto dangerous locations such as apartment building roofs.

Applying for a gambling licence Apply for a gambling licence by submitting a written application. Write your application in Finnish or Swedish. Send the application and attachments to the National Police Board via the online service, by email, or ...

4.6.2026 | Intensified police surveillance during the final week of the school year has already become a tradition and the focus also this year was on proactive surveillance during school hours ahead of the end-of-school weekend. In addition to increased surveillance over the weekend, police officers were actively present in schoolyards, including during breaktimes.