Police College of Finland > Research > History of Police Research Work

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History of Police Research Work

The inclusion of a senior researcher in the staff of the Police Academy in the early 1990s marked the start of independent scientific research activities by the Finnish police.

Before the appointment of the senior researcher, the police had commissioned any necessary research projects from universities and research institutes operating under the direction of different government ministries.

Research activities by the police have expanded in both scope and importance since the 1990s, and the growth has been especially rapid during the last few years. Senior police officers - now more highly educated than before - are making greater use of the research findings. At the same time, research has an increasingly important role in policing. Research findings are useful in assessing changes in the police operating environment and they provide an important tool for organizational and personnel development and for leadership.

The research activities were made into an independent unit in 1998 and became part of the Police College of Finland established the same year.

With the merger of the National Police School and the Police College of Finland at the start of 2008, all Finnish police training (including research) was relocated to Tampere.

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