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Published: 26 February 2021

Number of coercive measures performed went up by 3 per cent

According to Statistics Finland's data, the police, customs and border guard used coercive measures 201,100 times in 2020, which is 6,200 coercive measures (3 per cent) more than in the year before. The share of searches of premises was 23 per cent and that of confiscations 12 per cent higher than in the year before. Apprehensions based on the Police Act decreased most in numbers.

Coercive measures of the police, customs and border guard in 2010 to 2020

In 2020, the police used coercive measures 195,600 times. This is 97.3 per cent of all coercive measures used. The number of coercive measures used by the police went up by four per cent from the previous year. The customs used coercive measures 4,100 times and the border guard 1,400 times. The number of coercive measures used by the customs fell by 14 per cent and by the border guard by 31 per cent. The shares of customs and the border guard were low in all the most significant coercive measure groups. The customs and the border guard performed around 10 per cent of confiscations.

Coercive measures against freedom

In 2020, a total of 22,800 apprehensions were made, which is 200 cases (0.8 per cent) more than in the year before. The number of arrests was 8,900, up by 200 cases (2.1 per cent) from one year earlier. The number of apprehensions was 2,010, which is 50 cases (2.9 per cent) fewer than in 2019. Altogether, 570 travel bans were enforced, which is the same as in 2019.

At the beginning of 2016, a coercive measure concerning detention of foreigners entered into force. A total of 880 detentions of foreigners were recorded in 2020, which is 31.8 per cent lower than in the year before. The most common reason for the detention of a foreigner was that a foreigner would hinder the preparation and enforcement of decision-making concerning him or her by hiding or running or in some other way. This was the basis for around 1,600 cases. Another common reason for the detention was that a foreigner was suspected of a crime and the detention was necessary to ensure the preparation or enforcement of the decision to deport from the country. This reason was used around 1,300 times. One coercive measure can contain several grounds, so the number of grounds is higher than the number of actual coercive measures. Altogether 5,700 grounds were used in 880 detentions of foreigners last year. The detention of a foreigner is not necessarily criminally based, but a foreigner can be detained without suspicion of a crime.

The number of intoxicated persons taken into custody has fallen in recent years. A total of 45,800 intoxicated persons were taken into custody in 2020. This is 3,300 cases (6.7 per cent) fewer than in 2019. 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 but the coercive measure is used to ensure the safety of the person or his or her environment.

Coercive measures against freedom by sex in 2020

A majority of coercive measures against freedom were directed at Finnish citizens. Apprehensions based on the Police Act are often taking intoxicated persons into custody, but this group also includes other temporary apprehensions to ensure that domestic or public premises are not invaded. Information on nationality is based on Statistics Finland’s register data. If there are no register data, police records are used.

Coercive measures against freedom by nationality 2019 and 2020

	Total		Apprehension based on the Police Act		Apprehension		Arrest		Remand		Detention of a foreigner
	2019	2020	2019	2020	2019	2020	2019	2020	2019	2020	2019	2020
Total	83,771	80,369	49,063	45,760	22,601	22,781	8,752	8,931	2,058	2,013	1,297	884
Finland	70,818	69,977	44,319	41,761	18,041	19,086	6,950	7,572	1,508	1,558	-	-
Estonia	3,053	2,772	1,265	1,080	1,199	1,153	317	275	81	82	191	182
Romania	1,140	881	243	143	367	338	286	202	93	61	151	137
Russia	902	696	384	369	272	215	158	62	33	16	55	34
Iraq	872	764	323	288	319	260	134	124	43	32	53	60
Somalia	703	677	473	439	142	154	49	53	17	13	22	18
Sweden	567	510	281	272	195	147	62	66	20	19	9	6
Gambia	368	191	13	23	182	98	55	21	11	6	107	43
Afghanistan	361	257	158	106	109	76	34	33	10	9	50	33
Latvia	351	347	147	133	135	118	43	54	8	28	18	14
Belarus	314	110	22	3	131	54	73	19	16	3	72	31
Lithuania	299	261	79	65	108	82	60	57	21	33	31	24
Ukraine	267	142	62	41	106	68	48	15	14	1	37	17
Without citizenship	240	181	71	49	98	72	26	20	4	11	41	29
Poland	184	103	87	52	57	35	19	10	7	3	14	3
Iran	171	110	30	41	83	39	23	19	4	7	31	4
Unknown	168	99	113	60	38	24	5	5	2	-	10	10
Georgia	150	110	12	6	74	45	14	18	8	6	42	35
Morocco	133	100	54	40	35	35	10	9	5	3	29	13
Bulgaria	131	74	42	23	47	23	26	17	7	5	9	6
Nigeria	122	93	18	10	50	40	12	14	3	3	39	26
Syria	122	86	29	27	59	37	18	17	3	4	13	1
Albania	114	36	5	3	37	6	23	14	20	10	29	3
Turkey	112	111	19	19	57	55	18	11	4	3	14	23
Other	2,109	1,681	814	707	660	521	289	224	116	97	230	132

Other coercive measures

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. In 2020, altogether 7,700 searches of data contained in a device were performed, which is 13.8 per cent more than in the previous year. A search of premises refers to a search conducted elsewhere than in a public place but not a domicile. Searches of premises numbered 9,700, most of which were carried out to find an object or property to be confiscated or to clarify an offence. Compared with the previous year, 23.2 per cent more searches of premises were performed.

The number of bodily searches and physical examinations and possible confiscations related to them grew by 2.6 per cent from the previous year. Their number was 31,000 in 2020. Physical examinations were done to determine the DNA profile of a suspect and to detect consumption of alcohol or other narcotics. Altogether, 32,700 confiscations were recorded, which is 11.5 per cent more than in the year before. House searches and confiscations made in their connection numbered 11,900, which was 11.2 per cent lower than in 2020. The number of house searches and confiscations made in their connection has decreased considerably compared to 2013 as part of them are now recorded as searches of premises or searches of data contained in a device.

The number of enforced restraining orders continued to fall. Altogether, 1,100 restraining orders were enforced in 2020, which is 1.2 per cent fewer than one year earlier and 14 per cent fewer than in 2018.

A total of 27,100 coercive measures were directed to women, being 13.5 per cent of all coercive measures. Women's shares were small in all types of coercive measures. Of the coercive measures directed to women, 24 per cent were taking intoxicated persons into custody and nearly 16 per cent were physical examinations and confiscations. Close on nine per cent of coercive measures were not directed to a person but, for example, to legal persons or premises.

Examinations to detect narcotics use have increased

In all, 5,300 examinations of state of intoxication with a precision breathalyser were recorded in 2020, which was 1,300 cases (19.7 per cent) fewer than in 2019. The number of examinations of state of intoxication with a blood test was 16,900 in 2020, which was 2,900 cases (20.5 per cent) more than in 2019. Examinations of state of intoxication in order to detect narcotics use increased by 30.9 per cent and examinations to determine the blood alcohol level increased by 10.3 per cent from 2015.

Investigations of drunken driving in 2013 to 2020

	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020
Breath alcohol	9,597	8,528	8,206	7,790	7,369	7,638	6,562	5,270
Request to examine state of intoxication	11,000	11,345	11,538	11,662	12,456	13,554	14,051	16,926
Of which
...Blood alcohol	7,669	7,228	6,705	6,578	6,493	6,678	6,710	7,401
...Narcotics	4,504	5,254	6,123	6,555	7,665	8,742	9,221	12,074
...Consumption after driving	1,899	1,734	1,644	1,461	1,365	1,386	1,499	1,473
...Theoretical statement on state of intoxication	344	261	237	199	192	184	190	191
...Alcohol back calculation	1,051	882	778	692	604	596	591	561

The database tables describing coercive measures were reviewed in connection with the release on 28 February 2019. They contain further information on the duration of apprehensions, arrests and detentions as well as more detailed information on the grounds for coercive measures.

Source: Statistics on offences and coercive measures 2020. Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Kimmo Haapakangas 029 551 3252, Pekka Hänninen 029 551 2606, rikos@stat.fi

Head of Department in charge: Hannele Orjala

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Appendix tables

• Appendix table 1. Persons apprehended, arrested and remanded by age in 2020 (26.2.2021)

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Updated 26.2.2021