NCJ Number
63502
Date Published
1979
Length
288 pages
Annotation
THE FINNISH POLICE STRIKE, WHICH BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 13, 1976 AND LASTED 17 DAYS, IS THE SUBJECT OF THIS STUDY CONDUCTED BY THE RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF LEGAL POLICY INTO THE EFFECTS OF THE STRIKE ON FINNISH CITIZENS.
Abstract
IT STUDIED THE AMOUNT AND NATURE OF PUBLIC DISTURBANCES AND CRIMINALITY THAT TOOK PLACE DURING THE STRIKE AS WELL AS THE SPECIAL PRECAUTIONS, SUCH AS ARMING THEMSELVES, THAT CITIZENS TOOK AT THAT TIME. UTILIZING SEVERAL SUBSTUDIES, RESEARCHERS ATTEMPTED TO FORM A GENERAL PICTURE OF WHAT HAPPENDED DURING THE STRIKE AND TO INTERPRET THE STRIKE AS AN INCIDENCE OF LABOR CONFLICT WHICH DERIVED ITS SPECIAL CHARACTER FROM THE ROLE POLICE PLAY IN SOCIETY. OBSERVATIONS INDICATE THAT MOST CITIZENS DID NOT TAKE ANY SPECIAL PRECAUTIONS DURING THE STRIKE TO INCREASE THEIR SAFETY. DATA ON CRIMES OF VIOLENCE, TAKEN FROM THE RECORDS OF PATIENTS ADMITTED TO A HELSINKI CLINIC DURING THE STRIKE, SHOW THE DAILY MEAN OF PATIENTS TO BE HIGHER DURING THE STRIKE THAN DURING CONTROL PERIODS; TWICE THE NUBER OF HOMICIDES WERE REPORTED THAN COULD BE EXPECTED ON THE BASIS OF FIGURES FOR THE PREVIOUS YEAR. DATA ON PROPERTY OFFENSES, OBTAINED THROUGH PHONE INTERVIEWS, INDICATE THAT THEFTS, BURGLARIES, AND ACTS OF VANDALISM SLIGHTLY INCREASED DURING THE STRIKE. ALSO, THE NUMBER OF DRUNK DRIVERS AND THE SERIOUSNESS OF SUCH CASES INCREASED DURING THE STRIKE AS DID THE NUMBER OF SPEEDING OFFENSES AND OTHER TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS. FINALLY, OBSERVATIONS OF THE HELSINKI RAILROAD STATION, A LOCATION FAVORED BY THE MORE VIOLENCE-PRONE CITIZENRY, INDICATE THAT MORE IDLE PERSONS AND ALCOHOLICS WERE SEEN THERE DURING THE STRIKE THAN ON OTHER DAYS. OVERALL, HOWEVER, ORDER WAS GENERALLY MAINTAINED AND CRIMINALITY WAS CURBED. THE STUDY PONTS OUT THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING ABLE TO EVALUATE POLICE EFFECTIVENESS WITHOUT HAVING TO RELY ON POLICE-GENERATED STATISTICS. FOOTNOTES, ABOUT 80 REFERENCES, CHARTS, TABLES, GRAPHS, DIAGRAMS, AND AN ENGLISH SUMMARY ARE PROVIDED. --IN FINNISH