Police in northwest and Westfjords oppose plan to cut Iceland’s districts to three

Police staff in Northwestern Iceland and union representatives in the Westfjords have spoken out against a draft bill from Iceland’s Minister of Justice that would reduce the country’s police districts from nine to three. The staff of the Police Commissioner of Northwestern Iceland submitted a formal written opinion opposing the proposed reorganization, challenging the necessity and expected benefits of the merger, according to reporting from Vísir, RÚV, and mbl.is.

The staff opinion argues that it has not been demonstrated why a reduction to three police districts is needed or how such a large merger would achieve the claimed improvements. This skepticism echoes concerns raised by police in the Westfjords. The local police union Lögreglufélag Vestfjarða adopted a resolution highlighting the distinctive challenges of the Westfjords region, a remote, mountainous area with long travel distances, difficult transport, and extreme weather conditions that place specific demands on the police.

While the Westfjords police union said it shares the goal of strengthening the professionalism and specialization of the police force, it questioned how the draft reform would improve policing and ensure officer safety in rural and challenging areas. The union does not see evidence that the planned changes will benefit either local policing or public safety.

There is some confusion over the correct name of the Minister of Justice behind the bill. Reports from Vísir have referred to the minister as Þorbjörg Sigríður Gunnarsdóttir, while other sources, including mbl.is, name her as Þorbjörg Sigríður Gunnlaugsdóttir. It is not yet clear which is correct.

TopicsIceland politicsIcelandic PoliceJustice MinistryPolice reformWestfjords