Plaster cast of the monumental red granite hero statue by Wäinö Aaltonen erected on the Savonlinna Cemetery in 1921. The cast was originally on display at the Police Academy and now at the current Police University College, where it was moved in 2008. Aaltonen depicts a nude mourning warrior with a Greek helmet in his hands.
Brick wall with a series of light coloured plaques, each featuring a person’s name and date of death. Above these plaques is a large plaque with the following text in Finnish: Policemen who have lost their lives through violence during the era of independence.
The exhibition ‘In Memoriam – Police Officers Killed in the Line of Duty’ is part of the police service’s remembrance and heritage work. It is a tribute to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for society. This exhibition aims to remember and honour them all.
The skills of police officers are put to the test every day, 24/7, and in the most extreme cases, police officers risk their lives and health. The job of a police officer is to keep everyone safe at all circumstances. Police work carries a high risk of becoming involved in threatening and violent situations. The police have to intervene in situations that no one else wants to face. Unfortunately, the dangerous aspects of police work cannot be completely eliminated. To protect others, the police must be able to protect themselves.
Decades of long-term work has been done to improve police safety. In Finland, employers are obliged to take the necessary measures to ensure their employees’ safety and health at work. The police’s tactics, protective vests, and other protective tools and instruments of force, first-aid skills and first-aid equipment are crucial for occupational safety. Coordinated follow-ups of critical incidents and training for all personnel on how to handle critical incidents are important means of preventing the stressful impacts of such situations.
However, police officers can always encounter danger in the course of their duties, even with the most careful planning and selection of equipment. Every police officer is well aware of the risks involved in the profession. And when the risks materialise, the price is unbearably high.
The police operate in an environment of constant change. They need to be prepared for unexpected situations, both during individual shifts and at the strategic level. The whole organisation must support each police officer by providing the best equipment, training and leadership, and the police endeavour to ensure that these meet the requirements of the profession. When the police face threats, they respond swiftly and seriously.
In recent years, the safety of the police organisation and of every officer has come under renewed scrutiny. The European security environment has been rattled by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the escalating situation in the Middle East. War has come closer to Finland’s borders and affects our daily lives in many ways. Hate speech, opposition to the authorities, targeting and shaming others, and hybrid operations are almost daily occurrences. As uncertainty mounts, it is important that the police promote stability in society and go about their daily work in a professional and conciliatory manner. The police’s mission is to serve and provide basic security for all.
The change in the security situation has also had a significant impact on the police’s own preparedness and contingency planning. Recent measures to meet the police’s operational requirements and boost occupational safety include improving the quality and quantity of protective equipment and instruments of force (such as bullet-proof vehicles) and several acquisitions for the police’s undercover capabilities. Tactical negotiation and first-aid skills have been further enhanced, and efforts have been made to improve the physical security of police premises. Anticipation and cooperation among authorities on preparedness and contingency planning is more important than ever in the recent past.
We will continue to invest even more in criminal intelligence, threat assessment, information gathering and processing, and situational awareness. The police carefully review serious threats, hazards and accidents that occur to evaluate performance in the field, in leadership, in training and at the strategic level. The aim of this work is to learn and propose how we can improve what we do in the future to prevent similar situations from arising. This work has also led to significant progress.
Our efforts and actions to improve occupational safety in various ways will not bring back those who have died in the line of duty. Unfortunately, it is impossible to foresee everything. We will do everything we can to ensure the safety of police officers, so that we do not lose any more colleagues. This work continues every day.
Let us honour the memory of the heroic police officers who have fallen in the line of duty and who gave more to society than it can ask of anyone.
Ilkka Koskimäki
National Police Commissioner