Finnish police officers participate in OSCE/ODIHR training course to strengthen their ability to recognize, record and investigate hate crimes

Twenty-three Finnish police officers, 17 men and six women, participated in a train-the-trainers course organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) from 25 to 27 April 2017 in Tampere, Finland, as part of its Training against Hate Crime for Law-Enforcement (TAHCLE) programme.

“As the first responders to hate crimes, it is essential that police officers have the understanding and knowledge necessary to effectively address such crimes,” said Cristina Finch, Head of ODIHR’s Tolerance and Non-Discrimination Department. “The training course focused on improving their skills in recognizing, recording and investigating hate crimes. The participants will then be able to train their colleagues, putting into motion a cascade effect that will spread across Finland’s police force.”

The Police Board of Finland agreed to implement TAHCLE in April 2016. The programme, launched in 2011, is also under way in 12 other OSCE participating States: Bulgaria, Croatia, Estonia, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Malta, Montenegro, Poland and Turkey. The Spanish city of Valencia and Kosovo are also implementing the programme.