SuPo is part of the police force. The Finnish police, imo, is a decent institution. I am biased, of course, as I have known quite a few cops of all types (as friends and both men and women) in my years here. An I can be found frequently blowing the Finnish trumpet. The cops I know are universally intelligent, dedicated to what they do, and open minded. They are also the ones who volunteer to help in town social activities. The ones I've come across 'on the street' have always been courteous.

Back in London in the Sixties, the UK cops were the 'Filth'. In Finland it is a respected occupation. I think it may be something to do with this 'village mentality' that a society needs all sorts of skills to stay safe. Having police is one aspect of that.

The Finnish fuzz (affectionately) have had their bad moments. Failures of competence, slow reaction, police chiefs getting off drink/drive offences etc. But I can't think of any real scandal or misbehaviour.

Unless you count the young detective who lives two houses across, who has a summer family garden party with bands every year. He's got a licence for music to midnight, but last time they were still playing at 01.30 pm! But then most of the neighbours were invited ;-)

You can't be me, I'm taken

Very good question.

Finns overwhelmingly support the SuPo (see the report Sven linked to, which states that about 90% of the Finnish population trust the SuPo to do its job properly), as do I, usually. It's just that ever so often, the past rears its not so pretty head, as it did here with the Stasi files and l'affaire Alpo...

"The basis of optimism is sheer terror" - Oscar Wilde

I think Hannah Arendt in the Origins of totalitarianism mentions the tsarist secret police at the end of the 19th century, which was so bent on making itself necessary that for a few decades, it was involved in all anarchist attacks... as instigator.

Auferre, trucidare, rapere, falsis nominibus imperium; atque, ubi solitudinem faciunt, pacem appellant.