Police special unit lacks equipment for toughest calls

The National Commissioner of Police’s special unit is using outdated equipment that no longer meets safety standards, MP and former chief superintendent Stefán Vagn Stefánsson told Morgunblaðið.

Stefán said the unit had often faced tight budgets when he worked on these operations, but called it “a very serious matter” that officers had to use their private cars for call-outs. Morgunblaðið reported on Wednesday that the unit had recently used officers’ personal vehicles for some emergency responses and training. It also reported that the unit had begun using a vehicle built in the last century, which had previously been kept in a police museum.

Stefán, who served with the unit for about seven years, said much of its equipment, including marine safety and rappelling gear, was past its use-by date. “You don’t put people in a uniform that has expired,” he said.

He said the situation raised fundamental questions about the unit’s future. While everyone he had spoken to supported keeping it, he said it needed the equipment, training and funding to operate. The unit handles the most difficult, dangerous and complex tasks undertaken by police, he said, and its ability to respond quickly also helps protect other officers.

“If police officers find themselves in dangerous situations, they need to be able to trust that the special unit will come and help,” Stefán said.

Grímur Grímsson, an MP and former chief superintendent, welcomed the discussion about the unit’s resources and said a policy could be set on its size. He said the unit needed suitable vehicles and good working conditions because it was expected to handle the most difficult call-outs.

Grímur said police funding was already on the agenda, with calls for more officers. The previous year, one billion was added to the law-enforcement budget and the force grew by 50 officers. There has been no increase this year, and none is expected next year, but he hoped the number of officers would rise in 2028.