By law, firearms and ammunition must be kept out of the reach of unauthorised persons in Finland. Compliance with the law is the responsibility of the gun owner, as it is only occasionally checked by the police and then only in the context of the performance of other duties.
In the past, the police were empowered to carry out inspections in the homes of gun licence holders to ensure firearms were secured. However, for the time being at least, the law does not allow police to make these kinds of inspections.
"Checks are carried out in connection with other police duties, such as when responding to house alarms or during house searches," said Chief Inspector Jaska Immonen of the Licensing Control Unit of the Eastern Finland Police.
The school shooter in Vantaa this week used a licensed handgun belonging to a close relative. Police are investigating how the 12-year-old child got hold of the weapon. The case is under preliminary investigation as a suspected firearms offence.
In the Eastern Finland police region, for example, dozens of offences related to the storage of firearms or ammunition come to light every year.
"With so many being found, it shows that some gun owners do not comply with the requirement of due diligence," said Immonen.
These are usually cases of not keeping the gun or ammunition securely locked up. According to Immonen, keeping a gun completely in the open, for example by hanging it on a set of antlers on the wall, is nowadays an uncommon practice.
Pistols do not necessarily require a safe
The law on the storage of weapons has been tightened several times. However, the use of actual secure gun cabinets is not a requirement, except in certain cases.
A safe is required if there are more than five weapons or if you own a particularly dangerous weapon. These include semi-automatic pistols with a large magazine or some rifles, such as those used by army reservists, for example.
According to the police, the shooter at the Viertola school in Vantaa used a revolver. The law does not require these to be kept in a safe.
However, all weapons must be kept under lock and key in the owner's permanent residence. A lock on the front door is not enough. They must also be in a locked cabinet, for example.
"The lock must also be such that it cannot be easily forced with ordinary household tools," explained Immonen.
Firearms can also be stored disassembled, so that key parts are locked away. Previously, it was sufficient to dismantle the weapon and conceal the parts, but the law now requires parts to be kept under lock and key.
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