DF File Photo.
The number of situations where the police have had to use force has increased significantly in Finland during the recent years, said police in a press release on Friday.
In 2024, the police prepared for or actually used force in just under 17,000 cases, in 2025 the cases increased to more than 18,500 and in January to July in 2026 police recorded more than 10,000 cases.
Incidents of violent resistance to a police officer have doubled between 2015 and 2025, while the number of emergency calls has remained about the same.
In 2015, 421 cases of violent resistance to a public official were recorded, which was 855 in 2025 and in the current year, 585 cases were recorded from January to July.
Police, however, said that use of force is the last resort for them.
“Avoiding the use of force is a fundamental principle of police work. Police officers aim to de-escalate situations principally through advice, encouragement, orders and other interactive means. Force is only used when absolutely required in performing an official duty,” said Assistant Police Commissioner Sami Hätönen, Chief of the Public Order and Security Unit of the National Police Board.
If, however, a person fails to comply with orders issued by the police or poses an imminent danger to themselves, to bystanders or to officials, the police are obliged to act.
The means used must be proportional to the situation at hand and cause as little harm as possible. The police are bound by the principle of least harm.
“In many cases, the decision on which measures to deploy has to be made quickly and under pressure. When using force, the means used must be that which is the least powerful yet at the same time appropriate for the situation and sufficiently effective,” Hätönen said.
Coercive measures used by the police are strictly controlled by law and closely overseen. Use of force forms part of basic and advanced training for police officers. Regardless of which means or methods are used, the goal is always to dispel danger and restore safety.
Any offences alleged to have been committed by a police officer are independently investigated, with a prosecutor as the chief investigating officer, and any resulting sanctions are handed down by a court of law.
The police respond to more than one million emergency calls each year. This translates to about 2,800 calls per day, or 115 calls per hour. The vast majority of emergency calls and client encounters are managed without force, but police officers are increasingly facing situations involving persons whose behaviour is unpredictable, violent or hazardous. Mental health problems, intoxicant abuse and drug-related offences are a growing concern for the police.
Read more: Man killed in Espoo after police deploy stun gun.