Confidence of Finns high in police

The majority of the Finnish people continue to have high confidence in the police. According to the latest Police Barometer survey, a total of 91 per cent of the respondents trust the police a lot or a fair amount, said a government press release.

Trust in the police has slightly decreased compared to the previous survey (2018: 95 per cent).

Based on the results, the police have succeeded well in performing their most important duties and the work of the police is appreciated.

“From the point of view of the Finnish society and the legal system, it is important that people trust the police and other security authorities. The level of public confidence is high in Finland, but to ensure this the authorities have to work actively every day. Trust is earned in each face-to-face situation,” said Interior Minister Maria Ohisalo.

The police are successful in performing those operational duties that people consider to be the most important ones. These include emergency response, and prevention and investigation of violent crime. The respondents also consider that the police are fair and treat them fairly well.

Although fewer and fewer people fall victim to a crime and the number of homicides and property crimes, for example, has reduced over the long term, trust in the effectiveness of police activities has slightly decreased in recent years.

“In the last decade, the number of police officers was reduced by hundreds. But now, the political decision-makers have started to increase the number of police officers. This is a step towards the right direction and also necessary to ensure the effectiveness of police activities. The police are doing their utmost to ensure people’s everyday safety and security in Finland,” said National Police Commissioner Seppo Kolehmainen.

The Police Barometer survey was conducted before the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic in Finland. The results of the present survey reflect the situation in Finland at the time of the survey, i.e. between 4 February and 3 March 2020. A total of 1,082 people were interviewed in the survey. They were residents of mainland Finland and aged between 15 and 79.