Report criticises shortcomings of supervision of police activities

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A report published on Wednesday finds considerable shortcomings in the internal supervision of the legality of police activities in Finland. According to the report, by Deputy Chancellor of Justice Jaakko Jonkka, Finnish police units have not monitored their own activities well enough. He also says that there are problems with prevailing attitudes within the police.
      Jonkka warns that scrutiny must not lag behind the pace set by increased police powers and improved technical equipment.
      In his report, Jonkka writes that monitoring of police activities has been inadequate. In his investigation he found that incorrect procedure was followed at the local police level, and that legislation was insufficent.
      He found that scrutiny of the operations of the Security Police (SUPO) was very inadequate. According to one comment from the Supreme Police Command, "nobody monitors the Security Police".
     
A special problem stems from the fact that police are increasingly involved in the realm of clandestine work. This includes wiretapping, undercover work, and buying illegal goods as part of criminal investigations; Jonkka notes that supervision of these has proven to be difficult.
      "The general impression is that enforcement of legality is not a very high priority among the police", Jonkka says, adding that while complaints are investigated, this is not done very actively.
      Jonkka singled out the Supreme Police Command for its failure to implement inspections in units under its control.
      He said that credible supervision is especially important for clandestine operations.
     
Jonkka’s proposals include setting up a supervisory body directly under the Supreme Police Command. He says that such a unit should operate closer to officers in the field than supervisors have traditionally done.
      He says that many mistakes in practical police work could be eliminated if higher-ranking police officials showed a good example and followed the activities of their subordinates more closely.
      Jonkka also calls for implementing the same kinds of changes in the Security Police.
     
Interior minister Kari Rajamäki (SDP) said that fighting crime increasingly involves methods and systems which are difficult to subject to scrutiny.
      Rajamäki noted that the police have developed a new system called Salpa, which is to encompass the whole police administration, including the Security Police, as of early next year.
      The system makes allows for real time monitoring of police activities such as telecommunications surveillance, false purchases, and underground operations.


Links:
  Finnish Police web site

Helsingin Sanomat