Reykjavík launches neighbourhood watch after burglary surge

Reykjavík will launch a neighbourhood watch initiative after a rise in burglaries this summer, mbl.is reported. Mayor Hildur Björnsdóttir said police statistics confirmed that a burglary wave was under way.

The city held a public meeting at Reykjavík City Hall in late July, where Björnsdóttir and city security officer Eyþór Víðisson presented measures to help residents prevent break-ins. The meeting also included information from police about the situation and burglary figures.

Under the new initiative, residents and streets will be invited to organise neighbourhood watch schemes and install new signs with assistance from the city. Björnsdóttir said residents were being encouraged to look out for one another and keep an eye on each other’s homes, particularly while people were away on summer holidays.

The city also operates a security camera system in central Reykjavík in cooperation with police. The agreements governing the system have been updated in recent weeks, and the partners are reviewing whether the area covered should be expanded. The city has also worked with police on observation towers at Skólavörðuholt this summer.

Björnsdóttir said the towers had helped reduce pickpocketing, which she described as a relatively new phenomenon in Iceland. She said police regarded the burglary wave as primarily a law-enforcement matter and believed most cases were opportunistic, involving a small number of people. Some of those involved were people who had suffered serious setbacks, she said, adding that police believed several should be placed under repeat-offender supervision but that there was not enough space.