Iceland
| Author | George Kurian |
| Pages | 473-476 |
Page 473
Official country name: Republic of Iceland
Capital: Reykjavík
Geographic description: Island in northern Europe, northwest of the United Kingdom, between the North Atlantic and the Greenland Sea
Population: 296,737 (est. 2005)
The first appearance of a sheriff or law enforcer was in 1264 under King Hakon the Old of Norway, to whom Iceland submitted as a vassal state. The Old Covenant makes provision for both sheriffs (sýslumenn or Valsmenn) and lawmen (lögmenn). The number, jurisdiction, and terms of office of the sheriffs varied at first. At the beginning, they seem to have been appointed by the king himself, but later, this task was assigned to the official known as captain of Iceland, or hirostjorar. Sheriffs were expected to arrest thieves and violent criminals with the help of farmers, collect fines, investigate crimes, question witnesses, sit on the courts of justice, detain criminals until their cases were heard, monitor trade, prevent illegal private enterprises, and monitor the passage of foreign ships through Icelandic waters.
A formal law enforcement system developed between 1751 and 1758 following imposition of a property tax by royal decree, which financed the building of a prison and keeping prisoners in detention. The first prison opened in 1764. In the same period, an industrial company called Innréttingar engaged caretakers to protect its factory. Later, their title was changed to watchmen, and they were forerunners of the modern police. Their functions included raising the alarm in the event of a fire, watching out for unusual activities, and singing biblical verses to mark the hours. For their work, the night watchmen were equipped with an hourglass, a lantern, and a club with a spiked head. In 1791 the municipality of Reykjavík hired its first watchmen.
However, some of the night watchmen proved to be drunk and disorderly. Crime was rarely reported or punished, and theft was on the increase. To remedy the situation, two formal policemen were appointed in 1803, both Danish. In 1809 local parish directors were vested with police functions. During the next century, many towns engaged paid policemen: Akureyri in 1820, Ísafjörður in 1901, Hafnarfjörður in 1908, Siglufjörður in 1915, and Vestmannaeyjar in 1915. In 1880 the first legislation appeared relating to police work, followed by the Police By-Laws Act of 1891, which required all major population centers to appoint police officers.
Page 474
Meanwhile in Reykjavík, the police establishment grew steadily in numbers and powers. The regular municipal force was increased to 3 in 1855, cut down to 2 in 1874, and expanded again to 3 in 1905. After 1860 the force was supplemented by night watchmen. The force increased to 9 men in 1918, 15 in 1829, 28 in 1930, 41 in 1933, and 60 in 1937. In 1923, the Reykjavík police station began functioning around the clock.
The first prison built in 1764 was discontinued. Penal practice reverted to flogging rather than incarceration as the major form of punishment. However, the Criminal Code of 1869 reestablished imprisonment as the principal punishment. A new prison was completed in 1873 in Skólavörðustígur.
In 1891 Reykjavík expanded the police jurisdiction to cover traffic. This was updated in 1914 through the passage of a Traffic Act. The act stipulated a maximum speed of 10 miles per hour...
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