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Icelandic Police

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In Iceland, the Police (Icelandic: Ríkislögreglan, lit. 'the State Police') is the national police force of Iceland. It is responsible for law enforcement throughout the country, except in Icelandic territorial waters which fall under the jurisdiction of the Icelandic Coast Guard.[2] Police affairs in Iceland are the responsibility of the Ministry of Justice[3] and are administered by the Office of the National Commissioner of the Police (Embætti ríkislögreglustjóra) on behalf of the ministry.[4] The organisation is divided into nine districts, the largest being the Reykjavík Metropolitan Police (Lögreglan á höfuðborgarsvæðinu), which is responsible for the Capital Region[5] and its total population of around 208,000 people.[6]

Police
Ríkislögreglan
Official insignia
Official insignia
MottoMeð lögum skal land byggja
With laws shall lands be built
Agency overview
Formed1778; 246 years ago (1778)
Employeesc. 786 (2019)[1]
Jurisdictional structure
National agencyIceland
Operations jurisdictionIceland
Size103,000 km2 (40,000 sq mi)
Populationc. 357,050 (2018)
Governing bodyIcelandic government
General nature
Operational structure
Elected officer responsible
Agency executive
Facilities
Police cars and motorcyclesc. 300+ (2012)
Website
www.logreglan.is Edit this at Wikidata

History

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Origins

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The police can trace its origins to 1778 when the first traces of industry started to appear. Up until that time, the law had been enforced first by individuals permitted to do so by the Althing and then by sýslumenn (sheriffs) and other Royal proxies.[7]

The first policemen are considered to be the morning star-armed night watchmen of Reykjavík who were commissioned primarily to deter the prisoners of the Reykjavík prison from breaking into the Innréttingarnar [is].[8]

In 1803, the first proper policemen were commissioned in Reykjavík as it became a free town or kaupstaður [is]. The first police chief was Rasmus Frydensberg, the town mayor, who hired two former soldiers, Ole Biørn and Vilhelm Nolte, as the first policemen. It was not until shortly after 1891 that policemen were hired in most of the other areas of Iceland.[9]

Post-1900

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In 1933 Alþingi passed the Police Act which provided state participation in financing of police forces. This was done mostly in response to the threat of a communist revolution, whose capabilities had become apparent in a violent attempt to force the decisions of the Reykjavík city council, where a large part of the police forces went out of action as a result of physical injury. The act also authorized the Minister of Justice and Ecclesiastical affairs to call out reserves in critical situations.[10]

In 1972 the state took over command of law enforcement in Iceland, creating the National Police and in 1977 State Criminal Investigation Police started operations under a special Director. The State Investigation Police took over investigations of criminal activities that previously were under the control of the Reykjavík Criminal Court and police commissioners in the Capital Region.[11] The National Commissioner of the Police was formed in 1997, and the State Criminal Investigation Police was decommissioned.[12]

2013 Árbær shooting

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On 2 December 2013, a person died due to an armed police operation for the first and currently only time in Iceland's history. Police had responded to reports of shotgun fire in an apartment in Árbær, a neighborhood of Reykjavík. Initially tear gas was used in an attempt to subdue the gunman,[13] a 59-year-old man, but it failed to affect him.

When the special police unit entered the apartment in question, two officers were injured by shotgun fire. One officer was holding a ballistic shield which was hit. The other officer was hit in the head, but was wearing a ballistic helmet. Two officers with ballistic shields and pistols returned four shots, two of them striking the gunman. The gunman was taken to the hospital but pronounced dead upon arrival. National Police Commissioner Haraldur Johannessen immediately apologised to the man's family, calling the incident "unprecedented". The shooter's motives were not immediately clear, though some neighbours reported the gunman was making threats towards them.[14] An investigation into this incident was launched, and the guns involved on all sides were seized. Counseling was offered to the officers involved.[15] This still remains as the first and currently only shooting death involving the Icelandic Police in Iceland's history.

 
Volvo S80 D5 police car painted in the old livery

2021 Egilsstaðir shooting

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On the evening of 26 August 2021, a man armed with a shotgun and handgun started shooting at a car and house of the father of his girlfriend's children in Egilsstaðir, small town in east Iceland. Police officers in Egilsstaðir responded armed with pistols. Officers repeatedly told the gunman to lay down his weapons and give up when he was inside the house. After about an hour, the man came out of the house and started shooting at the police officers taking cover behind cars in the driveway. One officer returned fire, striking the gunman in the chest. The gunman was quickly helped and transported by air ambulance to Reykjavík to be treated. The gunman survived and was sentenced to 8 years in prison.[16][17][18] The incident marked the first time a normal police officer, not in the special armed police unit, fired a gun on duty.

2022 terror plot

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Main article: 2022 Iceland terror plot

On 21 September 2022, the police arrested four individuals who were suspected of alleged terrorist plot, the first of its kind in the country, to attack various institutions and citizens of the state.[19][20][21]

Police academy

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The police academy was shut down as of 30 September 2016 and the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture has decided to hand the responsibility of training future police officers to University of Akureyri (Icelandic: Háskólinn á Akureyri). Until then the police academy was its own independent institution under the Ministry of Interior. The police academy had previously been a non-university educational institution.[22]

This decision was quite controversial as it went against what a committee (established by Central Public Procurement Icelandic: Ríkiskaup) had recommended, with training provided by the University of Iceland (Icelandic: Háskóli Íslands).[23]

After the changes took place, cadets are now required to complete a two-year Police Science university diploma consisting of 120 ECTS credits.[24] The practical training takes place at the Centre for Police Training and Professional Development (Icelandic: Mennta- og starfsþróunarsetur lögreglunnar), established June 1, 2016 to replace the police academy that was shut down the same year.[25]

Ranks

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# Title English translation
1 Ríkislögreglustjóri National Police Commissioner
2 Lögreglustjóri Police Commissioner
2 Aðstoðarríkislögreglustjóri Deputy National Police Commissioner
3 Aðstoðarlögreglustjóri Deputy Police Commissioner
4 Yfirlögregluþjónn Chief Superintendent
5 Aðstoðaryfirlögregluþjónn Superintendent
6 Aðalvarðstjóri Chief Inspector
Lögreglufulltrúi Detective Chief Inspector
7 Varðstjóri Inspector
Rannsóknarlögreglumaður Detective Inspector
8 Lögreglumaður Police Constable
9 Lögreglunemi Police Cadet
Afleysingamaður í lögreglu Temporary Replacement Police Constable
Héraðslögreglumaður Temporarily hired constable

Equipment

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Two Icelandic police officers wearing new and updated police uniform as of 2023

Uniform

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The police wear navy dark uniforms marked with traditional black and white checked markings and the police star. The working uniform varies from a traditional service uniform (shirt and trousers) to tactical overalls. The old traditional Icelandic service uniform is now used as a dress uniform. The trousers patrol officers use are made from a fire-resistant material.[26]

Ranks

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Insignia[27][28]            
Title Ríkislögreglustjóri Lögreglustjóri Aðstoðarríkislögreglustjóri Aðstoðarlögreglustjóri Yfirlögregluþjónn Aðstoðaryfirlögregluþjónn Aðalvarðstjóri Lögreglufulltrúi
English translation National Police Commissioner Police Commissioner Deputy National Police Commissioner Deputy Police Commissioner Chief Superintendent Superintendent Chief Inspector Detective Chief Inspector
Insignia      
Title Varðstjóri Rannsóknarlögreglumaður Lögreglumaður Lögreglunemi Afleysingamaður í lögreglu Héraðslögreglumaður
English translation Inspector Detective Inspector Police Constable Police cadet Temporary replacement Police Constable Temporarily hired Constable

Weaponry

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See also: Viking Squad § Armed police
 
Armed police officer from Sérsveit ríkislögreglustjóra (Viking Squad)

Although police officers carry only extendable batons and MK-4 OC-spray (pepper spray) whilst on duty, some officers have started to carry tasers but they are trained in the use of firearms and are issued firearms in certain situations.[29]

Most patrol vehicles are equipped with firearms in order to limit the response time needed in assignments that demand armed police. The firearms are stored in a special weapons locker. The special operations team, the Víkingasveitin, carry out their daily assignments armed.[30][31]

Weapon Origin Type
Taser 10   USA Less-lethal weapon
Brügger & Thomet LL06    Switzerland Less-lethal weapon
Glock 17   Austria Standard issue sidearm
Heckler & Koch MP5   Germany Standard issue submachine gun
Mossberg 500   USA Standard issue shotgun
Heckler & Koch G36   Germany Assault rifle
SIG MCX   USA Assault rifle
Blaser R93   Germany Sniper rifle
Steyr SSG 69   Austria Sniper rifle
 
A police officer on a motorcycle

Transport

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A Volvo V90 Cross Country using the livery from 2018 and onwards

In Iceland, police vehicles are white with the Icelandic word for "police", Lögreglan, written in blue letters.

Starting in Spring 2018, Volvo V90 Cross Country vehicles entered service with police districts across the country.[32][33] The new vehicles were the first to use a new livery designed to improve visibility and were based on other European police vehicle liveries, retiring a livery that had been used by the Icelandic police since 2002.[34]

The previous vehicle livery consisted of blue and red stripes with the police star overlaying the stripes on the front doors. All markings are made of reflective material and the emergency lights are all blue.[35]

As of 2022 the regional districts own most of their cars while some of them are on long term rent from Bílaleiga Akureyrar. Previously the National Police Commissioner owned all of the police cars and the regional districts respectively rented them and paid both a per-kilometer fee and a fixed fee. The most common police cars are the Volvo V90 CC, Škoda Octavia and Superb, and the Land Rover Discovery.

The Víkingasveitin uses four unmarked Ford Police Interceptor Utility and unmarked Chevrolet Suburbans as well GMC Yukons that have been modified for tactical operations.[36][37]

Organisation

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There are nine police districts in Iceland which follow the regions of Iceland with the addition of Vestmannaeyjar being its own district. The current police district division is stipulated by the Regulation on Police Districts of the Police Commissioner which was signed 4 December 2014 by Prime Minister Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson who acted as Minister of Justice temporarily within the Ministry of the Interior due to a scandal.[38] The headquarters are administrative centres for their respective district and regular police stations.[39][40]

 
A service sign depicting a police station
# District Headquarters Police stations
1 Capital Region Reykjavík Reykjavík, Kópavogur, Hafnarfjörður, Grafarholt og Úlfarsárdalur
Municipal jurisdiction: Reykjavíkurborg, Seltjarnarnesbær, Mosfellsbær, Kjósarhreppur, Hafnarfjarðarkaupstaður, Garðabær and Kópavogsbær.
2 Western Region Borgarnes Akranes, Stykkishólmur, Búðardalur, Snæfellsbær, Grundarfjörður
Municipal jurisdiction: Akraneskaupstaður, Hvalfjarðarsveit, Skorradalshreppur, Borgarbyggð, Snæfellsbær, Eyja- og Miklaholtshreppur, Grundarfjarðarbær, Helgafellssveit, Stykkishólmsbær and Dalabyggð.
3 Westfjords Ísafjörður Bolungarvík, Hólmavík, Patreksfjörður
Municipal jurisdiction: Reykhólahreppur, Vesturbyggð, Tálknafjarðarhreppur, Bolungarvíkurkaupstaður, Ísafjarðarbær, Súðavíkurhreppur, Árneshreppur, Kaldrananeshreppur and Strandabyggð.
4 Northwestern Region Sauðárkrókur Blönduós
Municipal jurisdiction: Húnaþing vestra, Húnavatnshreppur, Blönduósbær, Sveitarfélagið Skagaströnd, Skagabyggð, Sveitarfélagið Skagafjörður and Akrahreppur.
5 Northeastern Region Akureyri Húsavík, Siglufjörður, Dalvík, Þórshöfn
Municipal jurisdiction: Fjallabyggð, Dalvíkurbyggð, Hörgársveit, Akureyrarkaupstaður, Eyjafjarðarsveit, Svalbarðsstrandarhreppur, Grýtubakkahreppur, Þingeyjarsveit, Skútustaðahreppur, Norðurþing, Tjörneshreppur, Svalbarðshreppur and Langanesbyggð.
6 Eastern Region Eskifjörður Egilsstaðir, Seyðisfjörður, Vopnafjörður, Neskaupstaður, Fáskrúðsfjörður, Stöðvarfjörður, Breiðdalsvík, Breiðdalur, Djúpivogur
Municipal jurisdiction: Vopnafjarðarhreppur, Sveitarfélagið Hornafjörður, Fljótsdalshreppur, Múlaþing, Fjarðabyggð.
7 Southern Region Hvolsvöllur Selfoss, Vík, Kirkjubæjarklaustur, Höfn
Municipal jurisdiction: Skaftárhreppur, Mýrdalshreppur, Rangárþing eystra, Rangárþing ytra, Ásahreppur, Sveitarfélagið Árborg, Flóahreppur, Skeiða- og Gnúpverjahreppur, Hrunamannahreppur, Bláskógabyggð, Grímsnes- og Grafningshreppur, Hveragerðisbær and Sveitarfélagið Ölfus.
8 Vestmannaeyjar Vestmannaeyjabær unspecified
Municipal jurisdiction: Vestmannaeyjabær.
9 Southern Peninsula Reykjanesbær Grindavík, Sandgerði, Garður, Vogar, Leif Eiriksson Air Terminal
Municipal jurisdiction: Grindavíkurbær, Sandgerðisbær, Sveitarfélagið Garður, Reykjanesbær and Sveitarfélagið Vogar.

Intelligence services

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In 1939, at the orders of then Prime Minister Hermann Jónasson, the State Police and the Útlendingaeftirlitið [is] (Foreigner monitoring agency) founded a security department, or eftirgrennslanadeild [is] in Icelandic.[41] This service was founded primarily to monitor Nazi scientists in Iceland as well as communists. After World War II, this service had the embassies of communist countries under surveillance and compiled lists of communist sympathizers and potential saboteurs or terrorists.[42][43] It was not until 2006 that this service was officially acknowledged, after having been known to only a handful of men for more than 60 years, after historians were granted limited access to secret documents.[44][45]

The National Commissioner's National Security Unit (Icelandic: Greiningardeild Ríkislögreglustjóra), established in 2007, is currently responsible for internal intelligence activities which include evaluating threat to the constitution of the state such as terrorism or organized crime.[46]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "1610/149 svar: Fjöldi lögreglumanna 1. Febrúar 2019".
  2. ^ "About Us". Icelandic Coast Guard. Archived from the original on 6 May 2017. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  3. ^ "About Us". Ministry of the Interior. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  4. ^ "The National Commissioner of Police — An Introduction". The National Commissioner of the Police. Archived from the original on 12 May 2008. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  5. ^ "Reykjavík Metropolitan Police – New Structure" (PDF). The National Commissioner of the Police. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 October 2014. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  6. ^ "Population by municipality, sex, citizenship and quarters 2010–2014". Statistics Iceland. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  7. ^ Guðjónsson, Guðmundur, ed. (April 2003). "The Police: A Historic Sketch" (PDF). The National Commissioner of the Police. p. 6. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 January 2014. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  8. ^ The Police: A Historic Sketch, p. 9-10.
  9. ^ The Police: A Historic Sketch, p. 15.
  10. ^ The Police: A Historic Sketch, p. 24.
  11. ^ The Police: A Historic Sketch, p. 25.
  12. ^ The Police: A Historic Sketch, p. 32.
  13. ^ "Rare Iceland armed police operation leaves man dead". BBC. 2 December 2013. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  14. ^ "Regret over Iceland's first police shooting". Al Jazeera. 3 December 2013. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  15. ^ Malcolm (3 December 2013). "First fatal police shooting in Iceland leaves gunman dead". Reykjavik, Iceland: IceNews. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  16. ^ "Átta ára fangelsi fyrir skotárás á Egilsstöðum - Vísir".
  17. ^ "Ágreiningur um fjölda skota og staðsetningu lögreglumanns - Vísir".
  18. ^ "Dómur".
  19. ^ Daniel Boffey (22 September 2022). "Icelandic police arrest four people over alleged terror attack plans". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 September 2022.
  20. ^ Andrés Magnússon; Ari Páll Karlsson; Karlotta Líf Sumarliðadóttir (22 September 2022). "Töldu árás yfirvofandi". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). Retrieved 23 September 2022.
  21. ^ Fanndís Birna Logadóttir (22 September 2022). "Mögulegt að árásin hefði beinst gegn Alþingi eða lögreglu". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 23 September 2022.
  22. ^ "Lögregluskólinn eflir menntun á sviði rannsókna kynferðisbrota. | Lögreglan". 24 January 2014.
  23. ^ "Flytur námið norður þvert á mat nefndar - Vísir".
  24. ^ "Police Science". University of Akureyri. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
  25. ^ "English – Mennta- og starfsþróunarsetur Lögreglunnar" (in Icelandic). Archived from the original on 15 March 2018. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
  26. ^ "Reglugerð um einkennisfatnað lögreglunnar. | Reglugerðir | Reglugerðasafn". reglugerd.is. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
  27. ^ "Starfsstig innan lögreglunnar". logreglan.is (in Icelandic). 10 December 2015. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
  28. ^ "LÖGREGLA NÚTÍMANS" (PDF). logreglan.is (in Icelandic). p. 27. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
  29. ^ Guðjónsson, Guðmundur, ed. (September 2005). "Police and Justice System: A short introduction" (PDF). The National Commissioner of the Police. p. 10. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 February 2012. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  30. ^ "Hvenær má lögreglan nota skotvopn? - mbl.is". mbl.is. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
  31. ^ Dóms- og kirkjumálaráðuneyti (9 February 2015). "Reglur um valdbeitingu lögreglumanna og meðferð og notkun valdbeitingartækja og vopna" (PDF). Retrieved 5 September 2015.
  32. ^ Brandt, auto motor & sport | Pär. "Island beställer ytterligare 11 Volvo V90 CC polisbilar". auto motor & sport (in Swedish). Retrieved 16 March 2019.
  33. ^ bifreiðaeigenda, Félag íslenskra. "Íslenska lögreglan pantar fleiri Volvo V90 Cross Country lögreglubíla". Félag íslenskra bifreiðaeigenda (in Icelandic). Retrieved 16 March 2019.
  34. ^ "Nýjar merkingar á ökutækjum lögreglunnar | Lögreglan". www.logreglan.is. 6 March 2018. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
  35. ^ "Reglugerð um einkenni og merki lögreglunnar. | Reglugerðir | Reglugerðasafn". reglugerd.is. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
  36. ^ "Image: 762517.jpg, (820 × 543 px)". mbl.is. Retrieved 5 September 2015.[better source needed]
  37. ^ "Image: 747357.jpg, (820 × 543 px)". mbl.is. Retrieved 5 September 2015.[better source needed]
  38. ^ "Reglugerð sett um lögregluumdæmi lögreglustjóra | Fréttir | Útgáfa | Innanríkisráðuneytið". innanrikisraduneyti.is. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
  39. ^ "Umdæmin | Lögreglan". logreglan.is. 24 November 2014. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
  40. ^ Umfangsmiklar breytingar á umdæmum sýslumanna og lögreglu í gildi um áramót. Ministry of the Interior (in Icelandic)
  41. ^ "Íslensk leyniþjónusta var starfrækt í áratugi". www.mbl.is. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
  42. ^ Olafsson, Jon. "The Comintern Experience: How it influenced the Icelandic Left" (PDF). NATO.
  43. ^ Järvstad, Pontus (October 2014). "The discourse of anti-Communism and its influence on the history of Communism in Iceland during the interwar period" (PDF). University of Iceland, Faculties of Humanities, History.
  44. ^ "From Iceland — Cold War Espionage In Iceland". The Reykjavik Grapevine. 25 July 2013. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
  45. ^ Moosios, Jeffrey Allen (May 2015). "House of Ice and Cod: The U.S.-Icelandic Alliance throughout the Cold War". College of Social Sciences, California State University.
  46. ^ "Greiningardeild | Lögreglan". www.logreglan.is. 25 November 2014. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
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