Finland steps up police presence over terrorism concerns

The Helsinki Police Department said on Tuesday that it had raised preparedness levels following terrorist attacks in France and Austria.

While there is no concrete threat of an attack, strikes in other parts of Europe warrant a temporary increase in vigilance in Finland, head of the alarm and surveillance unit, chief inspector Seppo Kujala said.

“The situation looks normal but of course we are preparing. This is a routine measure. Whenever a terrorism-related incident occurs in Europe, we prepare for someone to copy it here as well,” Kujala commented.

In practical terms, an increase in police preparedness will be visible in a greater than usual police presence on the streets of Helsinki.

Kujala noted that terrorism attacks are generally unpredictable and are therefore easier to nip in the bud if more police are out and about.

“We need to react to possible situations quickly and that means that resources need to be as close as possible. That can only be accomplished by increasing [the number of] patrols,” he added.

However Kujala declined to mention the most important city locations that will be monitored.

“There are so many potential sites in that regard that we will conduct general surveillance. Fortunately distances in Helsinki are short,” he noted.

Source: YLE