Iceland review - 2016, Page 77

ICELAND REVIEW 75
number of female police cadets has grown in recent years.
We are gaining momentum but we need to move faster.
Until recently, the issue of trafficking received little attention in
Iceland. What has changed? Has there been an increase in the
number of cases or is this more a case of increased public aware-
ness or police efforts, or simply increased media interest?
All of those, I would say. We’ve had some notable
cases involving trafficking in human beings in recent
years. One of them was very serious and involved a foreign
organized criminal group. Heavy prison sentences were
given to the perpetrators in this case. Indications are that
this is a growing problem. It’s difficult for me to express
myself more clearly given that cases are currently being
investigated and processed. But, yes, I feel I can say that
this is a growing phenomenon in Iceland and that we
need to take indicators and lessons learned very seriously.
However, society can’t simply look to the police and say
that this is something we need to tackle. This is a social
issue which needs a broad-based approach and can only
be addressed through increased awareness, cooperation,
campaigns and so on.
Many people find it difficult to believe how trafficking and forced
labor can exist in a small society like Iceland. There was a case
of suspected trafficking and forced labor in the town of Vík í
Mýrdal (population 300) earlier this year, which had reportedly
been going on for months. According to the latest Global Slavery
Index, there are around 400 people in forced labor in Iceland.
How does something like this manage to exist in secret for so
long?
The number you cite from the Global Slavery Index
is shocking. I really couldn’t comment on it in terms of its
accuracy but it comes as a great surprise. Having said that,
indications are that trafficking in human beings does take
place in Iceland. There is growing awareness in Iceland
of human trafficking, of that I am certain. The fact that it
exists in such a small country shows how difficult a problem
this is and how important increased public awareness is.
In the economic boom years, there were cases of suspected traf-
ficking related to champagne clubs. Is there any one particular
industry or sector of society today where you’re finding more
cases or suspected cases of trafficking than in others?
If you read criminal analyses issued by the National
Commissioner in recent years, you will find growing
emphasis on exactly this field of criminality, i.e. trafficking
in human beings. In our 2015 report we pointed especially to
the tourism and construction industries.
How has the rapid growth in tourism impacted policing in Iceland in
general?
The impact has been quite dramatic. The number
of people on and off the roads has increased greatly. Simply
put, this means that the number of people we have to serve
has grown exponentially in a very short period of time—just
three or four years. More people in the country means more
accidents and incidents that call for police intervention and
response.
Summing up, what are the biggest challenges facing the police force
in Iceland today?
In terms of the increase in tourism, some 1.7 million
people are expected to visit Iceland this year—this is a nation
of 330,000 people. This means that the number of tourists
coming to Iceland this year will amount to five times the pop-
ulation. You will certainly find spots and places but you won’t
find many independent states that face this ratio of 5:1. To me
as National Commissioner it’s obvious that we need a bigger
police force and it’s imperative that our democratically-elected
leaders address this issue. Keep in mind that after the 2008
financial crash the police had to deal with a 35 percent budget
decrease. It was a major setback, and although some measures
have been taken in terms of [increasing] police funding, we still
have a long way to go. *

SOCIETY
Með lögum skal land byggja (‘With laws shall land be built’), the police’s
motto, originating in Njáls saga.