Westfjords police demand action over unacceptable working conditions

Two sergeants say the Westfjords Police’s working conditions are unacceptable and are calling for immediate action, mbl.is reports. The force moved out of its station in Ísafjörður in May 2025 because of mould, but the temporary premises have not been improved in the year and a half since.

Ingvar Jakobsson, chairman of the Westfjords Police Association and a chief sergeant, said the problems began in 2015, when the Administration of Occupational Safety and Health first raised concerns about ventilation at the station. A replacement system was planned but never installed.

The association eventually paid for mould testing itself after requests for tests went unanswered. All samples were far above healthy limits, prompting the move to former Íslandsbanki premises in the Administration Building.

The temporary accommodation is too small and has poor air quality because it has no ventilation. Staff have repeatedly reported pain in their nostrils, eyes and lungs, Jakobsson said. They have also tried, without success, to arrange mould testing in the building.

Sergeant Ingibjörg Elín Magnúsdóttir has described the shortcomings in a Facebook post. The police investigation unit is housed in a small room, while the on-duty officers’ workspace is shared with the break room. The changing room, where staff change clothes, is also in view of other people.

No one has left the force because of the conditions, Jakobsson said, but he warned that staff may start considering other jobs if there is no progress before the end of the year. In a resolution this summer, the Westfjords Police Association said the current premises were dangerous for staff and wholly unsuitable as a workplace. It urged the state, the relevant ministers and other responsible parties to act immediately.