Community police officers meet with young people from Hafnarfjörður

Community policing for increased prevention

Community police officers are now meeting with the Year 7 classes of Hafnarfjörður's primary schools. They are discussing social media violence with the young people in particular. Recently, they met with the two Year 7 classes at Lækjarskóli. „It's no joke to threaten and hit,“ says Dagný Karlsdóttir, who, along with Ýr Steinþórsdóttir, works as a community police officer in Hafnarfjörður alongside her regular police duties. They visit youth clubs, care homes and nurseries to connect with the community.

Community policing is a preventative project by the police. They are currently running a special campaign to educate young people. „There is a need for this, and schools should request this kind of education for Year 7,“ says Dagný. The project is a way to improve the service and strengthen relationships with the public, and especially with young people. The community police work with their community and foster cooperation between systems, which is important in the implementation of the Well-being Act.

The teenagers are enthusiastic

The young people at Lækjarskóli showed great interest in the police talk. They took an active part and asked questions. The excitement was high when they got to try on the vests and handcuffs and see the body cameras. The community police officers educated the children about the age of criminal responsibility and carrying weapons, and pointed out that threats online, instant messaging and sensitive personal photos are always a possibility. They also answered the teenagers' questions, including: What would happen if someone were shot? Whether 12- to 14-year-olds get arrested? They also asked the police officers about their jobs and what it takes to become a police officer.

The police want to strengthen ties with residents

There are four police stations in the Capital Region, and community officers at all of them. They educate and build relationships with residents and have been doing so since 2019. „We believe that this connection with the community increases the chances that people will contact us, that people will think of the police and also about the police before they do something scandalous,“ says Dagný.

„We don't just give educational talks, but also meet with the town and child protection services,“ she says. All education is good. „It's important to bridge the gap between residents and the police.“ Dagný has been in the police for about four years and Ýr for seven. They started working as part-time community police officers this January. „This is new for us and it's enjoyable to meet people in this role.“ On other days, they carry out their regular police duties.