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How many police districts are there in Iceland?
The country is divided into 27 police districts. Each police commissioner is independently in charge of the execution of police tasks in his district. Government responsibility for the police rests with the Ministry of Justice. Police commissioners in Iceland must have a law degree.
What is the Reykjavik police force?
However, the Reykjavik police force has a special squadron trained in the use of firearms and in operations against armed individuals or other violent people . The Reykjavik Police Commissioner is the head of the Immigration Office.
What degree do you need to become a police commissioner in Iceland?
Police commissioners in Iceland must have a law degree . Outside Reykjavik, police commissioners are also directors of customs and they carry out other functions for the state, such as tax collection. These officials are called district commissioners.
Is there a police force in Iceland?
The Icelandic Police. There are no Icelandic military forces, and never have been, neither army, navy nor air force. There is, on the other hand, a police force on land and on sea, the State Police, the Coast Guard and the Customs. Since 1 January 1972, all policemen in Iceland are members of the State Police.
What do Icelanders believe about gun laws?
Icelanders believe the rigorous gun laws on this small, remote volcanic rock can offer lessons to the United States. "The system here works," said Gunnar Rúnar Sveinbjörnsson, a flip-flop-wearing spokesman for Reykjavik's police department. "We would be glad to help.".
What was the legal age to buy a gun in Florida?
After the February mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, the "Enough is Enough" movement led to laws tightening gun restrictions in the state, including raising the legal age to buy a gun to 21. But that has not been repeated in other states nor on a national level.
How many people have been killed by Icelandic police?
Since the Icelandic police was established in 1803, its officers have only shot and killed one person. This was in 2013, and afterward the police chief, Haraldur Johannessen, said he was "deeply saddened" and apologized to the victim's family.
Why do people have a background check?
They have a meeting with the chief of police, who asks them why they want to own a gun and runs a background check to make sure they have no criminal record.
Where is Iceland located?
Iceland is a sparsely populated island in the northern Atlantic. Its tiny population of some 330,000 live on a landmass around the size of Kentucky. St. Louis, Missouri, which has a population slightly smaller than Iceland's, had 193 homicides linked to firearms last year. Icelanders believe the rigorous gun laws on this small, ...
When was the last shooting in Iceland?
The last shooting murder in Iceland occurred in 2007. Anton Brink Hansen / for NBC News
Which country hasn't had a gun-related murder since 2007?
This is Iceland — the gun-loving nation that hasn't experienced a gun-related murder since 2007. "For us, it would be really strange if you could get a license to buy a gun and you had no idea how to handle it," says Garðarsson, 28, a mechanical engineer. "I would find it very odd if [a gun owner] had never even learned which is ...
