The National Police Commissioner was speaking on YLE TV 1 Ykkösaamu morning television show.

According to Paatero, police work is being undermined by the need to save money.

“Although we are obliged to guarantee citizens’ safety everywhere, this is in fact impossible given our current resources. This is the case all across the board, in all police divisions,” Paatero said.

Police unemployment

The new government programme aims to cut police funding by 10 million euros over the next five years. Due to the cuts, the police force will decrease by about 200 police every year.

At the same time, police unemployment is set to increase.

Paatero estimates that there will be around 400 police unemployed by the end of this year, and that the number will rise to about 500 by the end of 2013.

Police stations to be closed

Paatero also sees many police stations closing due to increased savings pressures.

The Ministry of the Interior has commissioned a proposal including a list of police stations to be shut down. The proposal is due at the end of February.

“I think that many stations could in fact be closed. More important than having premises is how the police actually carry out their work. We could give up many fixed locations, instead transferring operations to mobile police vehicles,” the Commissioner suggests.

Closing down stations is not enough, however. The range of police tasks also needs to be pruned down, according to Paatero. Writing in a blog before Christmas, Paatero suggested delegating the transportation of intoxicated people as well as policing petty thefts to private security companies.

Violent crime on the rise

While savings pressures are forcing police to cut their operations, crime levels in Finland are growing.

According to as of yet unpublished crime statistics, violent crime has gone up a staggering 20 percent from the previous year. Crimes against property have also increased.

Paatero finds the increase in violent crime especially worrying. The National Police Commissioner sees some of the violence as stemming from social marginalisation, which he singles out as the biggest threat to internal security.

Paatero also came out in support of tougher punishments for drunk driving in the YLE television interview.