Police forces in the Helsinki metropolitan area work closely together to improve the security situation

The police departments of Helsinki, Western Uusimaa and Eastern Uusimaa have intensified their collaboration in the face of increased disorder and a worsening drug situation in the Helsinki metropolitan area.

The numbers of police call-outs and crimes in the Helsinki metropolitan area have clearly increased over the past year. The increased use of drugs is reflected in a significant increase in disorder. The number of police assignments rose by 14% in Helsinki and Eastern Uusimaa and by 6% in Western Uusimaa compared to the same period last year.

“The three large cities form a fairly coherent area in terms of their operating environment. The same phenomena occur across the municipal boundaries and affect us all. Demand for police services has increased across every police unit, including call-outs, surveillance, criminal investigations and licensing services. We have worked together operationally on a broad front, and the importance of cooperation will only increase in the future. Flexible and effective cooperation is one of our strengths, and it guarantees a safe urban environment for residents," say Police Chiefs Jari Liukku of the Helsinki Police Department, Marko Viitanen of the Eastern Uusimaa Police Department, and Timo Saarinen of the Western Uusimaa Police Department. 

According to the Helsinki safety survey published in the summer, many people feel unsafe, for example, on weekend nights in the city centre and in the evenings on commuter trains and the metro. There is a strong connection between a perceived lack of safety on weekend evenings and witnessing violence and drugs in the local area. Increases in the use of drugs and the disorder caused by drug use are a common challenge for the whole metropolitan area. 

The mayors of Helsinki, Espoo and Vantaa met with the chiefs of police in August to launch a collaborative effort across the region to tackle the drug situation. The police departments have responded to the situation by ramping up the numbers of visible patrols and missions on police initiative. The number of foot patrols has doubled in Helsinki and almost tripled in Western Uusimaa since last year. The number has increased by 40% in Eastern Uusimaa.

Joint surveillance on December weekends

On weekends in December, the police departments will conduct joint surveillance focusing on shopping centres and public transport in Helsinki, Vantaa and Espoo, as well as public transport stations with particularly visible issues of substance abuse. Most disturbances occur along the railway line. 

One major focus of joint surveillance is to combat substance abuse problems and crime against children and young people, as well as crimes committed by young people. Stakeholders will be closely involved in this surveillance. Chief Inspector Hanna Kiiskinen, who heads surveillance activities at the Helsinki Police Department, says the cooperation will strengthen joint situational awareness among the police departments.

“With the three police departments working more closely together, we will be able to target surveillance activities and allocate police resources precisely where there is heightened perception of disorder and lack of safety. Visible foot patrols are a key tool. Surveillance will target areas where there are many young people," says Kiiskinen.

Video surveillance also has a role to play. Visible surveillance activities aim to increase citizens’ sense of safety and security in public areas. 

“Passengers do appreciate the fact that safety is a priority in public transport. The presence of police and security guards enhances the feeling of security,” says Juhana Hietaranta, Head of Safety and Security at Metropolitan Area Transport Ltd. 

Difficulties at shopping centres – substance abusers in worse shape than before

Shoplifting has become more commonplace across the entire Helsinki metropolitan area compared to last year, but the increase has been particularly sharp in Helsinki. By the end of November, the Helsinki Police Department had recorded 53% more petty thefts than in the same period last year (19,493 petty thefts in total, up by 6,780 from last year). In Eastern and Western Uusimaa, the increases have been 11% and 12% respectively. 

Päivi Salonen, CEO of the Mall of Tripla, says the change has been dramatic over the past couple of years. 

“There has been a worrying increase in the number of shoplifting and substance-abuse incidents across the retail sector and we are monitoring the situation closely. We have already taken steps to improve security and to work more closely with the authorities. The number of substance abusers may not have risen, but they are now in poorer health and behave more erratically. Various problems have piled up, and the range of means available to address the situation should be broad and based on cooperation between different parties,” Salonen says.

“In Helsinki, there is a group of about 50 shoplifters with a high crime rate. The cases of these perpetrators are bundled together, and charges are considered as a whole. This leads to a harsher punishment than for individual cases. About 10 members of the group can be considered highly prolific offenders. An agreement has been reached with the prosecutor to treat their offences as thefts,” says Senior Detective Superintendent Jari Illukka of the Helsinki Police Department. 

A business restraining order would be one way to protect businesses and their staff from future disruptions. The government is expected to propose such a measure during 2026. 

Young people need safe adults around them

There have now been two weekends of intensified joint surveillance. It has been carried out especially in places frequented by young people. The places where young people meet vary, but in winter they mainly gather in the shopping centres near the railway. Young people have praised the presence of the police. 

“The message from young people is that they appreciate having safe adults around. During these initial weekends of surveillance, several situations could have escalated if we or the youth workers had not been there," says Kiiskinen. 

The number of crimes committed by underage youths in Eastern Uusimaa is decreasing. In West Uusimaa, the number of robberies committed by minors has decreased, but assaults and crimes against life and health have increased. 

The Helsinki police reported in August that the number of crimes committed by under-18s had decreased compared to last year, and the trend was particularly positive for robberies. The police, together with the City of Helsinki and the third sector, had succeeded in breaking the criminal cycle of young people. 

“Now, the statistics for Helsinki have turned less favourable. After schools restarted in August, robberies and assaults by youth gangs, mainly composed of young people with an immigrant background, began in areas such as Alppipuisto and Malmi. A single victim could be attacked by up to ten people, and some of the attacks involved humiliation and video recordings. The investigations include aggravated robberies and aggravated assaults. The criminal case has about 40 suspects, mostly aged between 14 and 18,” says Detective Chief Superintendent Markku Heinikari at the Helsinki Police Department.

Drugs are also a daily occurrence in traffic

The Helsinki metropolitan area’s police departments also work closely on traffic enforcement. This is part of the basic work of every police officer in the field. The main risk factors in road accidents resulting in death or serious injury are speeding and substance abuse. 

In the past year, the police have significantly increased the number of breathalyser and drug-screening tests throughout the Helsinki metropolitan area. 

“This year, we will conduct breath tests on more than 200,000 drivers. This is 41% more than last year, says Chief Inspector Aapo Isoaho of Western Uusimaa police.

Enforcement work in which the police monitor people’s driving capabilities holistically has paid off. The number of offences of driving while intoxicated has increased by around 8%. Narcotics are now involved in a larger share of incidents of driving while intoxicated, and already half of such offences are caused by substances other than alcohol. Amphetamines are still the most important substances in cases of people driving while under the influence of narcotics, although cocaine and the increased use of alpha-PVP are also evident, especially in the Helsinki metropolitan area.