Police academy students debate recent use of force cases

Recent police use-of-force incidents have prompted discussion at Finland’s Police University College, Yle reports. Students say open debate about police conduct is important, while training covers the principle that officers must cause no more harm than necessary.

Three cases have recently attracted public attention. In Tuusula, police forced a moped rider off the road during a pursuit. In Tampere, an officer pointed a gun at a man who opened the door of a moving unmarked police car. In Espoo, a man with an intellectual disability died after police used a conducted energy weapon on him.

In the first two cases, police officers are suspected of crimes and have been reassigned to other duties.

Students discuss cases despite limited information

Sini Strömberg, chair of the student union at the Police University College, said incidents that become public can also be discussed in classes.

“It is extremely important that police conduct is discussed openly. When cases like these arise, they are reviewed,” Strömberg said.

At the college, located in Tampere’s Hervanta district, real-life incidents are examined through the principles taught in police training. Strömberg said assessing police conduct is useful for students, although they have no more information about the cases than other members of the public.

“We consider individual cases through our training and what we have learned. It is somewhat difficult when we do not know the background to the cases, because we cannot say, for example, whether something went wrong,” she said.

Training focuses on limiting harm

Use-of-force training at the Police University College begins with basic instruction, including the study of force as part of police powers.

Chief Superintendent Asko Sartanen, head of the college’s surveillance and emergency response competence unit, said use-of-force training continues throughout both police education and an officer’s career.

“From the perspective of training, the use of force is examined in accordance with laws, decrees, and the regulations and guidelines issued by the National Police Board. Everything is based on what the Police Act says about the situations and official duties in which police have the right to use force,” Sartanen said.

A central principle in the Police Act is that officers must use the least harmful means available. This means that all measures taken during official duties must be carried out without causing more harm than is necessary to complete the task.

“The necessity of the measures is essential. Every official task has an intended objective, and the means of force must be proportionate to it,” Sartanen said.

Students are taught the relevant legal principles in detail. Sartanen said they are central legal norms governing all police work and form an important part of the curriculum for every student.

Trust considered more important than reputation

Public discussion of the incidents has also focused on the police’s reputation. Henry Rikander, an associate professor of police law, said after the Tuusula and Tampere cases that the police reputation had suffered a blow.

Strömberg said she was not concerned about public trust in the police. She pointed to the Police Barometer, which is published every two years and shows that more than 90 percent of Finns trust the police fairly or very much.

According to Strömberg, research also indicates that cases such as these can increase trust in the police if they are discussed and reported openly.

“Trust is more important to the police than reputation. When people trust the police, it is easier for us to carry out our duties,” she said.