ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the context-dependent elements of policing in metropolises, including the increasing influence of the European Union (EU) in shaping policing in the Nordic countries, the role of local politics and politicians in centralised police systems, and the significance of 'structural trust' and trust towards the police. It considers current developments in the policing of Helsinki, the capital of Finland to exemplify metropolitan policing in the Nordic contex. The chapter discusses the characteristics of Nordic police systems and policing, as well as the pressures and challenges they face from domestic, European and global environments. It addresses the hypothesis and criteria of the Policing European Metropolises Project, from the Nordic perspective, acknowledging the value of the comparative approach adopted in this project whilst suggesting some adaptation of the concept of metropolitan policing to accommodate the Nordic experience. The chapter considers policing strategies in Helsinki as an example of metropolitan policing in Nordic countries.
