Reykjavík mayor presents neighbourhood watch initiative

Reykjavík Mayor Hildur Björnsdóttir joined residents on Stararimi street in Grafarvogur on Tuesday, when a new neighbourhood watch sign was installed, mbl.is reports. She used the occasion to present a new neighbourhood watch initiative.

According to a statement from the City of Reykjavík, residents agreed to establish a neighbourhood watch on the street as a preventive measure and ordered the sign, which has now been put up. Many residents attended the unveiling and plan to maintain an active watch.

The signs are now available in a new format. Residents can apply to the City of Reykjavík for a sign and installation for a fee. The city decides where the sign will be placed, collects it from the manufacturer and installs it in a suitable location.

Neighbourhood watch residents are expected to act as the eyes and ears of their street or neighbourhood. The city recommends discussing the arrangement with neighbours in advance. A sign and its installation cost 11,098 krónur.

Free neighbourhood watch stickers are also available for windows near entrance or balcony doors. Residents can collect them from the City of Reykjavík service centre at Borgartún 12 to 14 or at Reykjavík City Hall.