However the poll, published on Wednesday, reveals an increasing feeling that law enforcement officials are inefficient at preventing white-collar crime. They were also rated as weak in solving car thefts.

Fire and rescue workers were the only officials earning a higher confidence rating among respondents.

However public confidence in emergency alert centres declined since the last survey, carried out in 2007.

In general the poll results suggest that the public at large is less worried about crime than three years ago. However more people say they take more precautions such as locking bicycles better and being more cautious about putting information onto the internet.

The pollster Taloustutkimus interviewed 1,027 people aged 15 to 79 in 80 municipalities around Finland for the survey. The ministry has published five such 'police barometers' since 1999.

In his blog, National Police Commissioner Mikko Paatero expressed satisfaction with the poll results.

He noted that the number of police officers on duty has risen by about 300 since 2008, as laid-off officers have been re-hired. However, writes Paatero, this is only a temporary increase. Force numbers are to be cut back to 2008 levels in 2012. He said it will be difficult to maintain current levels of confidence in law enforcement.