Safety in Finnish cities fluctuates as Vantaa and Oulu see increases in crime, while Helsinki and Espoo mark improvements
The safety situation in Vantaa and Oulu has significantly deteriorated in the first half of the year, but Helsinki, Espoo and Pori have become safer in public places compared to the same period last year. The police track the safety situation in cities with a so-called disturbance index.
The disturbance index takes into account suspected crimes recorded in public places, as well as emergency tasks managed by the police. The safety situation in many major cities improved from January to June last year.
The most drastic change in safety was observed in Oulu, where there were two stabbings in a single week at the Valkea shopping center in June. The first victim was a 12-year-old child of foreign origin who is a Finnish citizen, while the second victim was an adult male of foreign origin. Both stabbings are suspected to have been racially motivated. As a result, the safety situation in Oulu deteriorated dramatically.
“Serious acts of violence are emphasized in the disturbance index,” says Police Inspector Marko Savolainen. The three most unsafe cities in Finland at the moment are Vantaa, Oulu, and Turku.
Last year, Helsinki was the second most unsafe city in Finland after Vantaa. However, it is somewhat surprising that Helsinki is currently fourth in the police safety statistics. Tampere and Jyväskylä are currently less safe than Helsinki, with similar situations in both cities.
Among the major cities, the safest at the moment are Pori, Espoo, Kuopio, and Lahti. The disturbance index numbers for Kuopio and Lahti are almost the same.
When asked about the safety situation in Kuopio, resident Raili Tirronen said, “Everything here is peaceful. There are no fights or anything like that.”
The police in Kuopio have been conducting targeted surveillance, which has improved the safety situation. Safety also improves when individuals who commit crimes in public places are held criminally responsible and “removed from the field.”
“This is immediately reflected in these statistics,” says Police Inspector Savolainen. “In addition, decisions made by child protection services for placements reduce the number of potential offenders,” he continues.
The disturbance index considered by the police takes into account recorded homicides, assaults and sexual offenses, vandalism, and attempted crimes in public places, in relation to the population. The severity of the reported crimes is weighted in the disturbance index. Emergency tasks carried out in public places are also included in the index.