Finland faces hundreds of millions in police station upgrades

Upgrading Finland’s ageing police stations will cost hundreds of millions of euros, Yle reports. In Rovaniemi alone, replacing a police station affected by indoor air problems and outdated technology is estimated to cost 61 million euros.

The foundation stone for Rovaniemi’s new main police station was laid on Monday during a visit by Interior Minister Mari Rantanen. The building is expected to be completed in about two years.

Police officers in Rovaniemi have dealt with indoor air problems and temporary premises for around a decade. The city’s criminal and public order police will therefore have to wait longer for healthier and more suitable working conditions.

“This new building has been planned and awaited for a long time. It is a big thing for our staff. Hopefully we can manage to wait another two years,” said Jukka Lakkala, deputy chief of the Lapland Police Department.

Health problems have been known for years

Yle reported in 2020 that more than half of the police service’s premises needed renovation or replacement. Similar indoor air problems have been reported in police stations around Finland.

Rantanen said she had been aware of the problems since the previous government term. She said the Rovaniemi project should now be completed as quickly as possible so that police officers can move into the new premises.

Lakkala rejected the suggestion that delays could be interpreted as putting police officers’ health at risk. He said the police had systems for monitoring problems and investigating them whenever staff reported reactions to their working environment.

Ageing stations require major investment

Finland still faces a substantial task in renovating police stations that are around 50 years old, many of which are in poor condition and no longer meet current needs.

Large police stations built in recent years have cost tens of millions of euros. The estimated cost of the Rovaniemi building is 61 million euros.

Lauri Peltonen, regional director for Northern Finland at Senaatti-kiinteistöt, said the total cost across Finland would run into hundreds of millions of euros.

“The question is not only whether the premises are in good condition, but also whether they meet the requirements created by the equipment and vehicles used by the police today,” Peltonen said.

Many police stations were built in the 1970s and 1980s, when police work was very different from today. The amount of equipment used by the police has increased considerably.

Security construction has received funding

Rantanen said the state had invested heavily in recent years in buildings used by the police, the Border Guard and the Defence Forces.

She said projects could not all be carried out at the same time and that the stations in the poorest condition should be prioritised.

Construction costs are currently helping to ease pressure on government budgets. Senaatti-kiinteistöt said the budgets for large police station projects had recently remained within their limits or even come in significantly below them.