Pirate: Use the money for wages, not guns
Helgi Hrafn Gunnarsson MP. Photo: Styrmir Kári
A MP from Iceland’s Pirate Party (‘Píratar’) has spoken out on recently announced plans to kit Icelandic police cars out with firearms.
“There are ever more calls for extra funds for the police – and I support such calls,” said Helgi Hrafn Gunnarsson MP, addressing the Icelandic Parliament this morning. “But extra money should go, first and foremost, to address staff shortages and improve wages.”
Plans have recently been announced to effectively arm the Icelandic police by equipping police vehicles with handguns kept in a special compartment. Until now, only members of the Special Force, a detachment of 40-50 specially trained officers dealing with high-level security operations, have been armed.
“I am concerned at plans to spend the extra money recently announced for the Icelandic police on buying weapons, rather than recruiting more officers and paying them better,” said Gunnarsson.
Icelandic Minister for Home Affairs Ólöf Nordal replied that the extra funds in question were intended to pay for specific police projects, not to cover wage costs.
She indicated that there are clear rules on police “security equipment” and that is was up to the police to say when such equipment was needed. “Police must have the necessary equipment at their disposal to ensure public safety,” she said.
