Jarkko Lehtinen reappointed as head of Pohjanmaa police

Yle reports that Jarkko Lehtinen will continue as chief of the Pohjanmaa Police Department. The Finnish Police Board appointed him to the fixed-term position starting in October.

Four people applied for the five-year post. The appointment criteria cited Lehtinen’s extensive experience in various leadership roles.

Lehtinen, who holds a master’s degree in administrative sciences, has worked at the Helsinki Police Department as head of its special operations unit, command centre and traffic enforcement function.

Lehtinen was first appointed chief of the Pohjanmaa Police Department in April 2025. The Helsinki Administrative Court later overturned the appointment as unlawful after two applicants appealed. The court found significant shortcomings in the comparison of the applicants’ qualifications. It was the first time an appointment of a police chief had been overturned by an administrative court.