Police chief calls 58 percent violence figure far too high

More than half of police officers who responded to a survey said they had experienced violence or threats in the previous year, a figure the police commissioner for Northeast Iceland called far too high in comments to mbl.is.

The finding appears in a new law enforcement plan from the Ministry of Justice, which was presented yesterday. The survey found that 58 percent of respondents had experienced violence or threats over a 12-month period.

“We have been seeing a tougher environment for law enforcement in recent years,” Páley Borgþórsdóttir said. She noted that the survey included officers who do not work in the field, so the proportion among those responding to call-outs and in regular contact with the public could be higher.

“Fifty-eight percent who have experienced violence or threats in 12 months is an extremely high figure,” she said. “It is too high.”