Tampere expands street outreach to Hervanta, Annala and Kaukajärvi with €195,000 state grant

Tampere will expand its neighbourhood-based community safety work from the city centre to Hervanta, Annala and Kaukajärvi. The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health has granted €195,000 to develop the model this year and next.

The pilot is continuing as part of a coordinated effort in the city centre, while the approach is rolled out to new areas. According to the City of Tampere, Mayor Ilmari Nurminen thanked the working group for its initial findings and said the recommendations will be put into practice to support long-term safety in the downtown area.

Aamulehti reports that the outreach began in Tulli and later moved to Hämeenkatu after “positive results.” The work will be funded by the city through the end of the year, and, separately, will also be enabled by new National Institute for Health and Welfare funding for a summer expansion.

The newspaper also describes observations from a picnic in August 2025, where the outreach team could be identified by their red clothing and a cart. Jouni Perttula, cited by Aamulehti, said the team’s experience from last summer was “excellent”.

Aamulehti adds that Perttula links the broader safety response to practical measures such as better lighting, cameras and upkeep of public areas, alongside visible outreach.

A task force set up last August by Mayor Ilmari Nurminen (Social Democrats) presented its recommendations on Wednesday. Outreach will be carried out by workers from Tampere A-Kilta and the A-Clinic Foundation, who engage directly with people who use substances to prevent harm and strengthen residents' sense of safety.

Deputy Mayor Ilkka Porttikivi (Social Democrats), who chairs the task force, said familiarity is key: when outreach workers become known on the streets, it's easier to step in as behaviour becomes problematic.

As noted by the City of Tampere, the recommendations were prepared in a roundtable that brought together city representatives, the police, the wellbeing services county, civil society actors and downtown businesses.

The City of Tampere also quotes risk management and safety director Jouni Perttula, who links safety to everyday features such as good lighting, clean public spaces and visible outreach. Perttula adds that a recording of the session is available on Tampereen Kanava.

The group recommends improving access to substance treatment, reducing homelessness and relying on NGOs to provide low-threshold services. Police, the wellbeing services county and other organisations helped draw up the proposals.

Police statistics suggest conditions have eased so far this year, after Tampere ranked highest on the disturbance index among Finland's large cities last August. The details were reported by YLE.