Iceland Becoming More Peaceful?

Most categories of crimes saw a decline over the past month, but there was a sharp increase in vehicle-related crimes.

Vísir reports that, according to police data for the month of October, nearly every category of crime decreased from the month previous. The greatest decrease was amongst break-ins, which fell by 40% from September. In fact, only five categories of crime saw an increase, with the greatest increase related to traffic.

Destruction of property increased by 7%, and sexual assaults increased by 6% – the lowest of any crimes that saw an increase, tied with driving under the influence of drugs.

On the subject of driving, no other crime came close to increasing as much as car theft and joyriding, which went up by 55% between September and October. The second greatest increase was in traffic violations, which increased by 43%.

The news comes in the wake of recent news that the Icelandic police acquired some 150 submachine guns from Norway, which was justified in part by citing the violent crime that Icelandic police sometimes contend with. For now, the guns remain in storage with customs officials until it is deteminded once and for all whether the guns were a gift, as Icelandic authorities contend, or whether they were a purchase, as Norway contends.