The authority of the police in the regulation of public drinking in Finland

Abstract

Aim The aim was to study the values, objectives, means and stances of the police in the regulation of public drinking by using interviews taken from police officers working in Helsinki, Lappeenranta and Tampere. Method The interviews were analysed by addressing 1) the classifications the police used in the definition of the targets of regulation, 2) what kinds of techniques they supported in the management of targets and 3) what aspirations, rights and responsibilities they assumed for those who exercise authority and for those that are to be governed. Results The police identified two basic groups in the regulation of public drinking: alcoholics who live in the street, and the young. Alcoholics were the main target of regulation from the 1960s to the 1980s. The young became the principal target of regulation during the 1990s. According to the police, alcoholics are a cosmetic problem of public order. Instead, the disorderly drinking of the young is a serious problem. In the regulation of the behaviour of the young, however, the main responsibility belongs to families and schools. Overall, the police emphasised that their authority to govern public drinking has dwindled with the individualization and liberalization of society. Therefore, the liability in policing has to be spread onto private agencies and organisations. On the other hand, the police pointed out that drugs have become the most acute problem of public order. In the regulation of this problem, they advocated tough measures. Conclusions The results suggest that the regulation of public drinking of the police has become differentiated. Policing is directed towards the young because adults are regarded as sovereign actors whose rights to express themselves in public places are difficult to limit. At the same time, however, the behaviour of adults is governed indirectly by emphasising the ethos of parenthood and through public/private alliances.