Additional police funding for preventative work targeting children and young adults

A Government supplementary budget proposal would provide additional funding of EUR 3 million to the police for preventative work. The main target group for preventative action will be children and young adults.

“Children and young adults have had to bear an unreasonable burden arising from coronavirus restrictions. Particularly children in already difficult circumstances have suffered a great deal. Some young adults suffer from severe maladjustment, and may even express this through criminality. We need to be able to support these young adults now, and also to prevent youth maladjustment. The police also have a big role to play here, and I am delighted that we shall be able to allocate more funding to preventative policing,” explained Maria Ohisalo, Minister of the Interior.

Some other appropriations for the police are also included in the supplementary budget proposal. Police forensic laboratory costs have risen, and an increase of EUR 1.8 million in funding for laboratory operations is proposed. An appropriation of EUR 823,000 is also proposed to cover the costs of procuring materials, goods and services required by the police due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Appropriation to the Ministry of the Interior for another border patrol ship

An increase of EUR 120 million is proposed for Interior Administration funding to cover the costs of procuring another patrol ship for the Finnish Border Guard. The Government agreed the increase in the spring spending limits session. The Border Guard has now secured appropriations for procuring two new external patrol ships to replace three old vessels.

“Replacing the obsolete external Border Guard patrol vessels is a necessary procurement that could no longer be postponed. External patrol ships are an important element in Finnish border control, maritime rescue, and work to combat environmental damage in sea areas. It is good that this funding can now be confirmed,” Interior Minister Ohisalo said.

Costs of internal border control to be reimbursed

The coronavirus pandemic continues to impose additional costs on the Interior Administration. The Border Guard continued border control at internal borders throughout the beginning of 2021. This internal border control must be implemented with the same personnel who are normally responsible only for external border control. Implementing control at both external and internal borders accordingly requires a significant increase in labour input by staff. This is achieved through overtime and other instruments available to the employer. An increase of EUR 5.88 million is proposed for funding internal border control.

More emergency response centre operators to be trained

An increase of EUR 955,000 in appropriations for the Emergency Services College is proposed with a view to enabling an additional course for emergency response centre operators to alleviate an acute staff shortage in this sector. An 18-month emergency response centre operator course for 24 trainees will begin in Kuopio next autumn.

Additional appropriations related to the EU Recovery Instrument are proposed for the police and the Finnish Immigration Service. An appropriation is also proposed for these agencies to finance changes required under regulations governing interoperability between EU information systems.

The third supplementary budget proposal for 2021 was submitted to Parliament on Thursday 27 May.

Inquiries:
Kati Korpi, Director of Finance and Planning, Ministry of the Interior, tel. +358 29 548 8513, kati.korpi@intermin.fi
Heikki Sairanen, Special Adviser to the Minister of the Interior, tel. +358 50 456 4662, heikki.sairanen@intermin.fi