Icelandic police gone viral

The Reykjavik Police Instagram-account has gone viral. Starting in Russia and spreading through countries all over the world, such as China, Canada, Australia, South-Africa, America, France, Germany, Bulgaria, Serbia, Finland, UK, Indonesia and more. Just about all over the internet, Reykjavik city police is being talked about. On Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, Imgur and Flickr people admire them, want to join them, marry them, even move to Iceland because of them. All for the pictures posted on their Instagram page.

Þórir Ingvarsson, the detective in charge of social media for the Reykjavik police department, says he can hardly keep track on the numbers of new followers. „When I went to bed [Friday] we already had gone up to 24 thousand followers. As I woke up the next morning the number of followers was already 32 thousand.“

On Sunday morning Instagram-followers have gone beyond 41 thousand. Þórir laughing, not knowing where this will end: „If everything we have to deal with would be this much fun, it would be an easy job.“

Close contact with citizens

The Police began their social media invasion in 2010. First on Facebook, then Twitter, Instagram, Flickr and Pinterest. „When we set up our Facebook page there were no cops on Facebook“, Þórir says. „We always try showing something fun and a bit different but the main purpose is to keep in close contact with people living in the area.“

The close contact with the citizens includes announcing on social media on which streets in Reykjavik the police will be enforcing speed limits that day. Can´t really call them speed traps any more.

And then there is the plea from the police that really melted the hearts of many Icelandic parents. It says:

"Dear parents. Do not tell your kids that they better behave or the police will come get them. Because if they get in trouble and need help we want them to run towards us - not away from us."

First female chief