During the years 2003-2006 the Provincial Police Command of Western Finland and the Finland Futures Research Centre carried out a project: “Future and Security: Scanning the Changing Environment of the Police”. The need for the project arose from the fact that the pace with which new threats are emerging is getting faster and the security issues the societies of the future will face will be different from what they are today.
The project started by composing a preliminary report where the current security environment of the society was studied and the most important potential threats, as well as things which generate and sustain security, were identified. In the study the three most
important challenges for the security of the Finnish society were: abuse of drugs and alcohol, international crime and increasing number of citizens alienated from the society.
Study also showed that the environment of the security branch is very diverse. When thinking on where to direct resources when trying to increase security in the society its not just the traditional actors such as police, who should be considered. Other sectors like
education and social and health services are also very important. In order to increase security, cross-sectoral co-operation and pre-emptive security work is required.
Based on the environment analysis carried out in the preliminary report, a forecast program for the Provincial Police Command of Western Finland for years 2004–2006 was designed. This forecast program, which was based on proactive interest group work, was a process that generated and controled information, thus improved the possibilities of the Provincial Police to detect changes and developments in the security environment.
Software tool
The process also produced a software tool which will help in assessing the state and future development of the security in the society (safety indicator databank). The safety indicator databank has two main functions: one; it is a storage for latest data
relevant for assessing the status of the security in the society; and two; it has a built-in follow-up and forecasting tool that helps to illustrate how the observed level of security has developed in the past and how it is projected to change in the future.
Wide security branch interest group network
Another important outcome of the project has been the creation of the security branch interest group network. All in all 136 actors have taken part in the five seminars organized during the project. The participants represent a wide range of areas of the society: traditional actors of the security branch (police, fire brigade and the military),
people representing the well-being sector (social-, health- and school branches) and private sector (security technology and –services providing companies) as well as nongovernmental organisations and the church have been involved. Actors from all levels of public administration (municipal-, regional- and national level) have been involved in the seminars.
Further information:
Ville Lauttamäki
Researcher
Tel. +358 2 481 4610
ville.lauttamaki@tse.fi