The guns are a gift from Norway, the chief constable at the National Police Commission told visir.is on Wednesday. He also stated that the MP5 guns are by no means the first guns owned by the Icelandic Police Force. The chief constable told reporters that police-cars in Reykjavik will continue to be unarmed, but the SWAT team has always been armed and is used as back-up when needed.
In places where it might take a while for the SWAT team to get to, police cars may be equipped with guns, such as in Ísafjörður fjord.
Every police officer in Iceland has gone through a two-day gun training, but as reported by visir.is, none of the departments across Iceland have received MP5 guns from the Commissioner.
The news has gathered widespread criticism from both the general public and members of parliament. Many believe this goes against Iceland's image as a peaceful country.
Both Minister of the Interior, Hanna Birna Kirstjánsdóttir, and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gunnar Bragi Sveinsson, have declined to comment on their knowledge of the Norwegian gifts to the Icelandic Police Commission.
The Icelandic National Police Commission is now in ownership of 150 MP5 submachine guns, 35 of which are currently being used for practice at the Southern Peninsula Police Department. The rest will be kept at the Police Commission until other Chief of Police ask to have their departments supplied with them.
The guns are a gift from Norway, the chief constable at the National Police Commission told visir.is on Wednesday. He also stated that the MP5 guns are by no means the first guns owned by the Icelandic Police Force. The chief constable told reporters that police-cars in Reykjavik will continue to be unarmed, but the SWAT team has always been armed and is used as back-up when needed.
In places where it might take a while for the SWAT team to get to, police cars may be equipped with guns, such as in Ísafjörður fjord.
Every police officer in Iceland has gone through a two-day gun training, but as reported by visir.is, none of the departments across Iceland have received MP5 guns from the Commissioner.
The news has gathered widespread criticism from both the general public and members of parliament. Many believe this goes against Iceland's image as a peaceful country.
Both Minister of the Interior, Hanna Birna Kirstjánsdóttir, and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gunnar Bragi Sveinsson, have declined to comment on their knowledge of the Norwegian gifts to the Icelandic Police Commission.
