Police, customs and border guard used coercive measures 196,700 times in 2014

According to Statistics Finland, the police, customs and border guard used coercive measures 196,700 times in 2014. The number was 13,600 coercive measures (6.4 per cent) lower than one year previously. Nearly one-third of the coercive measures were apprehensions based on the Police Act (known as taking intoxicated persons into custody), where it is a question of ensuring the safety of the person or his or her environment. Other types of coercive measures were almost always connected to investigating the guilt of a suspect or ensuring the criminal process.

Coercive measures of the police, customs and border guard in 2005 to 2014

At the beginning of 2014, new coercive measures came into force: search of data contained in a device and search of premises. A search of data contained in a device refers to a search directed to the data content contained in a computer, a terminal end device or in another corresponding technical device or information system. A total of 4,200 such searches were carried out. A search of premises refers to a search conducted elsewhere than in a public place but not a domicile. Searches of premises numbered 4,800, most of which were carried out to find an object or property to be confiscated.

The number of intoxicated persons taken into custody has fallen in recent years. The number of intoxicated persons taken into custody was 61,300 in 2014, which is 7,100 cases (10.4 per cent) lower than in 2013. Taking intoxicated persons into custody is a coercive measure based on the Police Act, where the object of the coercive measure is usually not suspected of an offence. In addition to taking intoxicated persons into custody, other main coercive measures include apprehension or arrest of a suspect in an offence, bodily search and physical examination and possible confiscation related to them, and confiscation or house search and confiscation.

In 2014, 25,000 apprehensions were made, which is 2,700 cases (9.9 per cent) lower than in the year before. The number of arrests was 9,150, down by 960 cases (9.5 per cent) from one year earlier. The number of bodily searches and physical examinations and possible confiscations related to them decreased by 8.6 per cent from the previous year. Their number was 25,300 in 2014. Confiscations and house searches possibly made in their connection numbered 38,500, which was 7,800 cases (16.8 per cent) lower than in the year before.

In all, 8,500 examinations of state of intoxication with a precision breathalyser were recorded, which was 1,100 cases (11.1 per cent) fewer than in 2013. The number of examinations of state of intoxication with a blood test was 11,300 in 2014, which was 300 cases (3.1 per cent) more than in 2013. The numbers were relatively low for other types of coercive measures. A total of 24,800 coercive measures were directed to women, being 12.6 per cent of all coercive measures. Women's shares were small in all types of coercive measures.

Investigation of drunken driving in 2013 and 2014

Investigation/year	2013	2014
Breath alcohol	9 597	8 528
Request to examine state of intoxication ¹⁾	11 000	11 345
Of which
...Blood alcohol	7 668	7 225
...Narcotics	4 504	5 254
...Consumption after driving	1 899	1 734
...Theoretical statement on state of intoxication	344	261

1) Examination of state of intoxication in a laboratory test to establish the person's intoxication. Several examinations can be carried out during the same examination rounds.

The statistics on Offences known to the police and on Coercive measures were combined in March 2015. Data released prior to that can be found on the old web pages of the statistics. The web pages of the statistics on Offences known to the police: http://www.tilastokeskus.fi/til/polrik/index_en.html and of the statistics on Coercive measures: http://tilastokeskus.fi/til/pkei/index_en.html

Source: Statistics on offences and coercive measures 2014. Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Kimmo Haapakangas 029 551 3252, rikos@stat.fi

Director in charge: Riitta Harala

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Updated 20.5.2015

Referencing instructions:

Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): Statistics on offences and coercive measures [e-publication].
ISSN=2342-9178. Coercive measures 2014. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 21.11.2024].
Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/rpk/2014/14/rpk_2014_14_2015-05-20_tie_001_en.html