Speech by National Police Commissioner Ilkka Koskimäki at the oath-taking ceremony of new police officers in Tampere on 4 December 2025

National Police Commissioner Ilkka Koskimäki
Police University College

Dear Minister of the Interior, Principal, Police officers taking the oath, Ladies and gentlemen

Finland is one of the most stable, secure and free countries in the world. It is worth defending, both in war and in peace. You, the new police officers taking the oath, have decided to defend Finland and its principles in the respected profession of police.

According to the Police Barometer, Finns are particularly concerned about crimes committed by young people, firearms, and the use and sale of drugs in public places. We have been working to address these concerns.

The rapid increase in crimes committed by young people has been successfully halted and the number of robbery crimes has decreased significantly. We have intervened in the increased sale of drugs in public places and forwarded users to have proper treatment. The import and trafficking of drugs has been combated by means of several international joint operations to make sure that Finland will remain one of the safest countries in the world in the future as well. In addition to the significant security threat posed by drugs, there is a mental health crisis in Finland – it is clearly visible in the duties of the police. Events outside the borders of Finland also have an increasingly direct impact on internal security. 

We have chosen criminal investigation as the focal area for next year. The goal is to investigate crimes committed by young people and children in real time. The one-touch approach will be continued, in other words sufficient initial measures are taken in the field to ensure a high-quality pre-trial investigation. However, the first response of the police is the most important factor: the police must primarily be able to respond to urgent emergency assignments in accordance with the expectations of citizens. We are determined to combat serious criminal phenomena and maintain a good level of successful investigation of crimes. Combatting violent crime has been raised as one of the most important priorities of the Finnish police for the first time. We believe that effective crime prevention by the police, stakeholder involvement and legislation can have a significant impact on slowing down and even reducing the growth of violent crime. Tackling violent crime is a major challenge in a changed operating environment where drugs are present everywhere, mental health problems are clearly visible and information networks serve as an enabler of growing violence. At the same time, the ongoing wars and international organised crime and terrorism also affect the perpetrators of violence in different ways in Finland as well.

We allocate resources based on information, and we are present wherever there is disruption. We establish the school police model as part of our everyday efforts, secure operational readiness and provide services equally and fluently across Finland. We secure adequate supervision.

We perform our work as effectively and cost-consciously as possible, taking into account the connection of operations to the financial framework. We support the well-being of our personnel at work and the maintenance of their ability to work throughout their careers.

Society creates the conditions for the success of the work done by the police. The key priorities and prerequisites for success have been defined in the Government Programme and in the recently published Report on Internal Security. The latter includes the goal of increasing the number of operative police personnel by a total of 10 per cent during the next two Government terms, to a level of at least 8,800 person-workyears.

The Report further states that an annual index adjustment would be introduced to the operating expenses of the police – with the exception of salaries – and that this would be corrected retrospectively to correspond to the actual increase in the level of costs. At the same time, we are curbing the growth of costs through our own measures, such as by a productivity programme.

I am confident that the performance of the police can be secured in the coming years even though our operating environment has become increasingly challenging. We in the police make sure that tax money is used effectively by taking care of the statutory duties of the police.

Dear new police officers giving your oath,

You must be wondering about your own employment opportunities in the police now that there are significantly more graduating police officers than in previous years. Don’t be alarmed, the employment outlook is good. The Government Programme has required the police to increase its operational resources, and we have also received funding for this.

The National Police Board decides annually on the number of student admissions to the Police University College based on the proposal of the College. We also take into account here the personnel attrition forecasts of police officers in order to maintain a balance between new and retiring officers.

However, the police cannot maintain public order and security in Finland on its own. We do that in accordance with the Police Act in co-operation with other authorities, communities and residents. 

We have also received strong support from them. We were the biggest gainer in public administration in the Trust & Reputation survey last year. According to the Police Barometer, 92 per cent of Finns trust the police fairly much or very much. Trust shown to the other security authorities in Finland is also at a record high level globally.

Trust has been built over generations. It is the duty of us who are in office to preserve our strong heritage. We will succeed in this by doing the right things right also in the future. We are supported by our values, which guide the choices we make in our daily work. We are fair, courageous and always reliable. 

I expect all of you to understand the pledge you make in your oath that you will endeavour to behave to the best of your ability and skills at all times and in all situations in a manner appropriate to the dignity of a police officer.

At the same time, I would like to remind you that the police have absolute zero tolerance for any kind of misconduct. Persons who have been suspected or found guilty of serious crimes have served in the police.

Each such case has been a shocking failure, both on a personal level and on the level of the entire organisation. Each case is referred to the prosecutor for assessment, and we do not hesitate to use even hard civil service measures. There is no such thing as a flawless official and human error is part of work, but in the case of deliberate misconduct, we act firmly to protect the trust shown by citizens in the police. You have a duty to report any misconduct that comes to your attention.

I trust you in this matter. The internationally respected Finnish police training has been a particular success factor in our administration. You have now successfully passed this training as reliable professionals in internal security.

The expectations that society places on you can sometimes seem unreasonably high. The police have to go into situations from which others flee. We must be able to protect everyone and in all circumstances. Police response must not be impaired, and criminal liability must be fulfilled.

Trust in the things you have learned in your training, but keep yourselves up to date through continuous learning. Do your work firmly, fairly and humanely and taking into account different people with different backgrounds.

I wish you the best of luck and success in your demanding task.