The Finnish government is planning to establish a police reserve to ensure sufficient resources in exceptional situations, the interior ministry announced on Thursday.

The ministry said the reserve could be deployed under normal conditions during serious incidents, as well as in emergency situations and "in a state of defence if this was essential to safeguard the resources of the police".

"The reserve would be part of the police organisation. The decision when to deploy the reserve or to end the deployment would be made by a plenary session," it explained.

The reserve would be voluntary in nature and consist of between 400 and 500 people, the ministry said.

"They would perform police duties and exercise police powers. Police students would, however, work under the supervision and real-time direction of a police officer in a permanent public post. Training and up-to-date skills would be essential for an effective reserve," the release read.

It said that the government has proposed that the president approve the bill on Friday.

Most of the law amendments are set to go into effect on 1 January 2027, according to the ministry.

Finland had a supplementary police force in the late 1990s, although in practice the reservists were never deployed — a factor which eventually led to its disbandment.

Police training change

The ministry's release noted that the government's proposal also includes an amendment to qualification requirements for the Master of Police Services degree.

"Currently, the qualification requirement for the Master's degree is an applicable Bachelor's degree in a university of applied sciences or other applicable university degree," it said.

"In future, the Police University College could also admit to studies leading to the Master's degree [of] a person who is deemed to have sufficient knowledge and skills for the studies, and who has at least three years of work experience as a police officer in Finland," the release explained.