Finland Times

 

Head of Security police Antti Pelttari.File Photo – Lehtikuva.

Majority of citizens are of the opinion that the Finnish security police-Supo should be given more power to combat terrorism threats.

 

A recent survey found the majority of citizens believe the security police also need new mechanisms to fight terrorism threats.

 

The security police need up-to-date means that encompass legal power enabling Finland to combat terrorism as well as thwart other threats against the state.

 

In the survey, 41 per cent of the respondents are adamant that Supo needs more power, while 39 per cent partly concurred with the idea.

 

More than one thousand people were interviewed between November and December 2014, that is, before the terrorist attacks in Paris and Copenhagen. The margin of error was +/-3.

 

Security Police, SUPO office logo. File Photo – Str / Lehtikuva.

Meanwhile, a defence ministry working group proposed in January that the authorities should have an opportunity to engage in communication intelligence, in other words, a network to monitor cross-border communications.

 

Earlier, during the release of Supo’s annual report, Antti Pelttari, head of security service, said the country will not be in a position to ensure security, unless the authorities have the capability to combat different forms of threat including cyber threat targeted towards the country.

 

“The need to fight terrorism threat in Finland has substantially increased in the last five years,” wrote Pelttari.

 

Pelttari, citing the recent attack in Paris, said combating threat posed by Islamist terrorism in Europe has become more difficult.