Vantaa, Jyväskylä, and Tampere are currently Finland's most unsafe cities, according to the latest figures from the police's 'disturbance index,' obtained by Yle.
Vantaa has remained at the top of the rankings for several years, while Jyväskylä and Tampere have seen their safety situations worsen over the past year.
The so-called disturbance index is calculated by the police based on reports of homicides, assaults, sexual offences, vandalism — and their attempts — carried out in public places. Reports are weighted according to severity. The population-adjusted index also accounts for emergency response tasks carried out in public areas.
Last year, the index ranked Vantaa as Finland's least safe city. At the time, Oulu ranked second, partly due to violence that targeted immigrants — it now ranked seventh among Finland's 10 largest cities.
Helsinki ranked fourth in the latest statistics, while Espoo is considered safer than both Turku and Pori.
However, in the bigger picture, Finland remains one of the safest countries in Europe and the world, according to the World Population Review.
Jyväskylä's worsened safety situation
Jyväskylä jumped from sixth to second place in the disturbance index in just one year.
"In Jyväskylä, for example, there were several suspected attempted murders in July. These are exactly the kind of incidents that raise the disturbance index," said Teemu Karhunen, Chief Inspector at the Central Finland Police Department.
According to Karhunen, the index does not fully reflect the city's safety, particularly in the downtown area, where none of the incidents that drove up the index took place. He added that the overall safety situation in Jyväskylä is improving.
At the start of summer, Jyväskylä launched a year-long pilot programme placing security guards on the streets of the city centre — a first in any Finnish city.
"We have received positive feedback from businesses, shopping centres, and residents in the city centre. There is a sense that people feel safer and disturbances have decreased," said Jyväskylä's City Manager Heli Leinonkoski.
Vantaa has been at the top of the police's safety statistics for several years. According to the police, the situation in Vantaa is largely due to individual violent acts.
Police in Jyväskylä and Vantaa emphasised that violent crimes are often tied to criminal disputes, including drug-related conflicts. Authorities emphasised that ordinary residents and visitors can move about safely in both cities.
