Threats towards police a growing concern
Gunnlaugsson says that the growing threats towards police officers is a growing concern for our society. mbl.is/Kristinn Magnússon
Helgi Gunnlaugsson, a professor of criminology at the University of Iceland, says he understands the concerns of police officers, but a policewoman’s vehicle was recently set on fire outside her home and the chairman of the National Commissioner of the Icelandic Police says police are experiencing increasing violence and threats.
“Police officers are public officials who are performing their duties, and it is totally unacceptable that they have to live in such an environment and endure threats and other threats,” Gunnlaugsson says.
Helgi Gunnlaugsson professor of criminology at the University of Iceland. Samsett mynd
Need to learn from this and respond appropriately
Although there have been times in the past when threats to police officers have been reported in the police force, this has often proved to be more smoke than fire, but now, police say they are increasingly feeling that people intend to follow through on these threats
“It is a concern, of course, most important for the police officers who are on the scene, but it’s also a concern for us as a society, because they are our representatives and the ones who are in charge of public safety. We want them to be safe in their job, of course, and this is not what we want to see, and we need to minimize the risks.”
Gunnlaugsson says that the attack on the policewoman’s car also reveals that police officers experience this as an attack on themselves, because each of them might be in the same situation, as is the case in other Nordic countries. There attacks on policemen and even their privacy are well known. It is necessary to learn from these incidents and respond appropriately.
