1951 - 1970

In the early 1950s, life in Finland eventually returned to normal after a decade dominated by war and economic difficulties. Finns were excited by the news that the country would be hosting the Summer Olympics of 1952, having lost the opportunity in 1940 due to the ongoing war. In order to give the foreign visitors a positive impression of the Finnish police force, however, some major changes had to be made to the uniform. It was time for the police to replace the modified military uniforms of the 1940s and learn to dress and behave in a civilian, relaxed and modern manner.

The police forces of other Nordic countries were also planning to change their uniforms in a similar way, but the Finnish police was the first among the forces to adopt such a uniform. The uniform statute of 1951 introduced a new kind of light coat. The most significant change was the open collar, a feature that made the uniform resemble a civilian suit. The coat was dark blue in colour and had breast and side pockets with buttons. The collar straps were replaced with pentagonal collar insignia featuring a silver sword lion emblem surrounded by a spruce wreath on a black bottom.

Although a new coat had been introduced, the old model with a closed collar remained the primary uniform coat. The open-collar one is mentioned as an alternative coat that could be worn voluntarily. However, the new lighter coat soon became popular, and the police organisation promoted it actively. In 1953, a grey summer coat with the same design was introduced.

Another new item introduced in 1951 was the side cap, another soon-to-be classic of the police uniform. The side cap had no peak and was made of the same material as the new uniform coat. The same year also saw the first uniform specifically designed for female officers.

In early 1955, the Police Central Depot, which had been in charge of the procurement and distribution of uniforms, was renamed the Police Equipment Depot. The State Uniform Factory had been the main manufacturer of police uniforms since 1945. The depot procured the materials, and the factory used these to produce the uniforms based on relevant statutes.

Additional decisions on the police uniform were made in 1955 and 1958. These decisions brought a number of modifications and additions to the decision of 1951. A significant addition was that of protective suits in 1958. Although it was stated that such suits were to be used according to need when carrying out special duties, the appearance of the suits was not specified, except for the riding suit of the motorcycle police, which was to be dark in colour and include rank insignia on the shoulders. The colour of the helmet had been defined as white in 1955.

No new uniform statute was enacted in the 1960s, but late in that decade, a new field uniform that would influence the public’s perception of the police for 25 years was introduced. This uniform was first presented in the Police Order of 1.11.1968. It included a waist-length mixed-fabric field jacket with concealed buttons and a folded collar. The jacket was light and practical and soon gained great popularity.