Finnish drug cops are under fire
@ 4:46 pm Finnish state prosecutors will launch an investigation into some members of the Helsinki Drug Squad, who are suspected of malfeasance, Finnish news agency STT reported on Monday.
But about 20 persons of the drug squad took sick-leave last Friday. The squad has about 35 members.
Jari Aarnio, Chief Inspector of the Helsinki Drug Squad, fears that the mass sick-out could hamper the investigation of serious drug cases.
Before the sudden bouts of illness, the drug police had been informed by Finnish State Prosecutor Ari-Pekka Koivisto that a decision would be coming soon on whether or not there is reason to suspect illegal activities among the drug police, said STT.
Last spring suspicions were aroused that the drug police had established close relationship with certain criminal groups. The police had agreed to overlook crimes committed by those in the criminal underground giving tip-off in drugs.
On TV last night, the spokesman for the drug police team was insistent that the policemen have been doing an excellent job and that this investigation that is being launched is “like having a bucket of shit dumped on our necks.”
Well, drug police have to have their snitches in order to make busts. If they arrest their snitches, then they don’t have any more snitches and don’t make any more busts, so it seems logical that they must turn a blind eye to some of the things the snitches are doing. It sounds like this is where the misunderstanding lies.
Nearly two thirds of the drug police force in Helsinki are on sick leave. They have cited “burn out” as the cause for the sick leave, which is, no doubt, some sort of protest.
I was wondering when someone was going to write about this. Indeed this is fishy and I don’t like the Soviet-style “sudden illness” stunt pulled by those in public office from time to time. We should take a long, hard look on the sensibility of the drug war if it requires collaboration with those very criminals one is supposed to pursue.
Another thing - Olof Palme, regarded as the inventor of the Nordic model, is under suspicion for being a Punter of child prostitutes. Phil, with his obsession with the welfare state, is silent. I am worried.
Comment by Freeridin' Franklin — Tue, Dec 11th, 2007 @ 6:51 pm
Franklin, are you on the drugs?
Comment by Dave the Extrapolator — Tue, Dec 11th, 2007 @ 7:00 pm
Yeah L.A Confidential anyone? Interesting to see what furls out of this hash.
Comment by Auriga — Tue, Dec 11th, 2007 @ 7:27 pm
Apart from the Laphroaig I just started working on, no.
Comment by Freeridin' Franklin — Tue, Dec 11th, 2007 @ 8:04 pm
Great. Soon Finland will have stupidness like in US of A, where the endless “War on Drugs” only destroys lives and causes more prisons to be built. Finland has enough human rights abuses - it doesn’t need another one.
Comment by Anonymous — Tue, Dec 11th, 2007 @ 8:25 pm
Maby they led someone around on a dog chain? Oh wait, they tried waterboarding? Naw, only evil USA can do that stuff. They used good music, good dental care, and good food to turn those bad guys around.
Now that’s cause for investigation.
Comment by winter, "Yea, Proton Power, now in remission" — Tue, Dec 11th, 2007 @ 9:18 pm
Define soon is thi soon? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFaW2Whpw1Q
Comment by Auriga — Tue, Dec 11th, 2007 @ 9:36 pm
Now winnie, good public dental care in Helsinki? You sure you’re not smoking something along the rum?
Comment by Freeridin' Franklin — Wed, Dec 12th, 2007 @ 9:55 am
We’ve heard the excuse of “our guys are doing a fine job and this media bullshit only hampers the conduct of our daily business” before. Nobody believes it. Most of all, stop acting as if this country’s bureaucracy and police were exempt from public scrutiny and systematically always doing “a fine job”, because you’re not. You - goofed - up - real - bad. Smell the coffee, accept the blame and move along.
Comment by Martin-Éric — Wed, Dec 12th, 2007 @ 10:37 am
@1,
If worst comes to worst we can always declare the case secret for the next 60 years and rename the drug police; that’s how the old Federal Bureau of Narcotics turned into the DEA. No need to think things over or anything.
@9,
So you know how they goofed up? Care to tell us more?
Comment by prince of dorkness — Wed, Dec 12th, 2007 @ 11:39 am
“Soon Finland will have stupidness like in US of A”
Here’s an example of America’s corrupt drug war and the DEA:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeGD7r6s-zU
Will this type of nonsense be the path for Europe, too?
Comment by Kristian — Wed, Dec 12th, 2007 @ 12:52 pm
@11 was that guy limping around after he shot the gun toward the floor, or am I just imagining things? “I’m da only one profeshnul enough to use a Glock. Bam!”
People starting leaving that place. I would have. And I like how they kept him from showing the other gun.
Comment by Sirkuspelle — Wed, Dec 12th, 2007 @ 3:22 pm
What is going on here? Has everyone died?
Comment by Dave the Davelator — Wed, Dec 12th, 2007 @ 7:17 pm
Fortunately, there is also professional drug education:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ul3e90VmCw8&feature=related
Comment by Freeridin' Franklin — Wed, Dec 12th, 2007 @ 9:59 pm
we are here, the rum is good.
By the way, I found Vodka, in a 1 LTR GLASS container for $4.00. Now thats a deal.
Comment by winter, "Yea, Proton Power, now in remission" — Wed, Dec 12th, 2007 @ 11:57 pm
What is going on here? Has everyone died?
I know what you mean. I think the standards have slipped though on FfT since Phil has made less entries. Or at least the variety of themes certainly has. At times lately FfT feels like a broken record / publicity mechanism for verosirkus.fi.
Sorry to be critical! I only write it because this blog has been really really good in the past and it would be great for it to be so again.
Comment by JG — Thu, Dec 13th, 2007 @ 2:03 am
my standards have not slipped. They are as low as they can go.
Comment by winter “Yea, Proton Power, now in remission†— Thu, Dec 13th, 2007 @ 4:22 am
JG: “publicity mechanism for verosirkus.fi”
The correct address is http://www.verosirkus.net
Have you submitted your complaint to the European Commission yet? —regarding the police’ illegitimate use of you personal information, which goes against the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights and EU’s Convention on Human Rights?
Comment by Kristian — Thu, Dec 13th, 2007 @ 4:39 am
So clearly not, as such as thing is not happening.
Comment by JG — Fri, Dec 14th, 2007 @ 3:29 pm