National Police Commissioner steps down

Sigríður Björk Guðjónsdóttir has requested to step down as National Police Commissioner. She will take up a specialist position at the Ministry of Justice, continuing to work in her area of expertise.

This was announced in a statement from the police.

According to the statement, Guðjónsdóttir met yesterday with Minister of Justice Þorbjörg Sigríður Gunnlaugsdóttir and requested to step down “in an effort to create peace around the office and the police as a whole.”

The minister granted her request, which takes effect on Friday. GrímurHergeirsson will be appointed acting commissioner on a temporary basis.

Criticism Over Procurement Deal

Guðjónsdóttir has faced heavy criticism following reports about the police’s business dealings with the company Intra.

The office purchased services from the company worth 160 million ISK, covering a range of projects including furniture purchases and consulting related to relocations.

“A Positive Resolution,” Says Minister

Guðjónsdóttir has served as National Police Commissioner since March 2020.

In a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office, the Minister of Justice described this as a “positive resolution and the right decision” by Sigríður Björk. 

“It is important that peace and trust prevail within the police. We now face the task of putting the operations of the National Police Commissioner’s Office on the right track and continuing to strengthen policing in the country. I thank Sigríður Björk for her service within the Icelandic police over the past decades,” the minister said.