Police to step up virtual presence in schools

The police are to step up their presence in schools by offering nationwide virtual lessons to all schools in 2025, said the National Police Board in a press release on Friday.

Under a new national model, the police will also support schools in problem-solving situations by being more accessible by phone or email.

The Eastern Uusimaa Police Department in Vantaa on Friday held a media event where Minister of the Interior Mari Rantanen and National Police Commissioner Ilkka Koskimäki announced the use of additional funding of €11.089 million allocated to policing.

Police traffic safety experts gave a presentation on police surveillance equipment and duties and about police traffic surveillance as part of school safety work..

Two million euros of the additional police funding will be allocated to school policing next year.

“Funding for school policing is a concrete example of how to strengthen the work of the police with children and young people. Besides this, it is important to make the necessary resources available to investigate crimes against children and offences committed by young people,” said Rantanen.

Additional funding will enable the police to step up their presence in schools on 2025, and in particular in problem-solving situations, as well as in education in the rule of law. The police have designed a national cooperation model for working with schools.

“The police will be more accessible for problem solving cases in schools and have a presence through virtual lessons,” said National Police Commissioner Ilkka Koskimäki.

All schools will be offered the chance to take part in nationwide virtual lessons run by the police. The lessons will be accompanied by support material available online and on social media channels.

In addition to the nationwide lessons, additional lessons may be offered to schools virtually or in situ in the classroom, at the discretion of local police.

The police received a total of €11.098 million in additional funding. Besides school policing, €5 million will be allocated to combat street gang criminality and juvenile delinquency, €3.5 million to step up the prevention of economic crime and a permanent increase of €0.589 million due to the discontinuation of mediation of domestic violence. Parliament will decide on the budget in December.