South-Western Finland Police Seize Bladed Weapons Daily – Law Tightened in 2026
South-Western Finland Police seize bladed weapons every day, including from people at police stations. The 2026 weapons crime law reform led to stricter penalties.
Bladed Weapons Found Increasingly Often at Police Stations – Seizures Daily in South-Western Finland
According to Yle.fi, South-Western Finland Police seize bladed weapons every single day – and some of the weapons are found on people who come to the police station of their own accord.
The weapons crime law reform that came into force at the beginning of 2026 tightened attitudes towards the possession of bladed weapons in public places without justified grounds. Previously, such a case might have ended in on-the-spot fines; now every case involving unjustified possession is in principle referred to the prosecutor's consideration for charges.
A crime sergeant with South-Western Finland Police, Karri Laakso, described the situation bluntly: "Surprisingly many people even come to the police station with a knife on them. This tells us partly that people may not understand how serious a matter this is."
According to a police statement, bladed weapons are encountered in a wide variety of situations – a knife might be found on an intoxicated person or someone causing a disturbance. During 2026, at least one bladed weapon has been seized in the region every day.
The law change also tightens the sentencing scale: the maximum sentence for possession of a dangerous object has been increased to two years' imprisonment. For other objects suitable for causing injury, the maximum sentence is one year's imprisonment. The aim of the reform is to reduce weapons crimes and crimes committed with weapons.
Source: Google News FI — Crime (fi)