The Mobile Police (Liikkuva Poliisi--LP) was formed in 1930 to operate throughout the country to prevent smuggling, to control highway traffic, and, above all, to be ready at a moment's notice to assist local police forces in quelling civil disturbances. With a complement of 724, as of 1988, the LP had a department in each province and command ÍÍÍÍÍÍÍunits in larger communities. Its main functions, in addition to its responsibility for traffic regulation and vehicle inspection, were to prevent the illegal importation and the manufacture of alcohol and drugs, to enforce hunting and fishing regulations, and to assist other police units in investigations and in apprehension of fugitives. The LP also provided security for the nation's president, passport control at the Soviet border, and security at the Helsinki international airport.

Data as of December 1988