Borgarbyggð council demands minister drop police merger plan

The executive council of Borgarbyggð has called on the justice minister to abandon plans to abolish the police chief’s office in West Iceland and merge it with offices in North Iceland and the Westfjords, mbl.is reports.

The council said the proposal runs counter to the interests of people in West Iceland and would further centralise decision-making, moving authority away from those affected. The proposed new office would cover a large part of the country, from West Iceland through the Westfjords and across North Iceland, regions the council said have little in common in terms of transport, service use and cooperation.

“A larger bureaucracy does not mean better service,” the council said, adding that no evidence had been presented that policing in West Iceland would improve if it were directed from Akureyri, or that policing in North Iceland would improve if managed from Ísafjörður.

The council said residents outside the capital area pay taxes on an equal basis with others and are entitled to effective policing close to home. It is demanding that the minister keep police leadership in West Iceland and consult meaningfully with the region’s municipalities before proceeding.