JHL (21.12.2016 - Heikki Jokinen) The minimum number of policemen should be defined by law, according to the Trade Union for the Public and Welfare Sectors JHL. The Union encourages its members to sign a citizens’ initiative calling for action on this.
Citizens’ initiative is a system that enables a minimum of 50,000 Finnish citizens of voting age to submit an initiative to Parliament to enact a piece of legislation.
In this case a citizens' initiative would sponsor the idea that the number of policemen should be sufficient to guarantee internal security, effective investigation of crimes and equal treatment for all citizens.
"Yes, we do support the idea that the minimum number of policemen and various indicators should be defined in legislation. This definition should cover all police tasks, in a balanced way", says JHL head of bargaining, Kristian Karrasch.
Karrasch argues that police resources have been cut so much already that internal security and basic rights are being endangered throughout the country.
The waiting time for a police response has been coming longer, the crime detection rate is none too flattering and investigation of economic crimes does not work to credible effect, Karrasch says listing the problems reported recently.
"In spite of all that the Government stubbornly continues its line to cut back on security."
Karrasch knows that it is not easy to write unambiguous and functioning stipulations into legislation. In a normal situation it would not be an alternative. But now the situation is such that there is a need for exceptional measures.
JHL hopes that the initiative will wake up the political decision makers to guarantee resources for those who take care of the basic tasks of the state.
The police force is not the only profession that suffers from diminishing resources, but paring back their resources also affects the work and security of many other professions represented by JHL.
So far there has been 564 citizens' initiative. Out of these 520 failed to collect enough signatures and 14 have been submitted to parliament. Only one has been accepted by parliament, the proposal for gender neutral marriage.