Jacks (and Jills) of all trades: the gentle art of policing rural Iceland

ABSTRACT Rural police officers confront unique professional challenges and opportunities. Little research exists on these dynamics, and most empirical knowledge of rural policing comes from the United States, Britain, and Australia. This study helps to address this gap by examining what rural police officers in Iceland present as their main professional challenges and opportunities. The study involved semi-structured interviews with 23 police officers. The interviewees framed understaffing, overwork, an extensive range of tasks with little to no backup, and a blurring of work-life boundaries as the main challenges of rural policing. Working in tight-knit rural communities, however, offers rural police officers opportunities to develop a broad skillset, innovate, and mobilize the community’s social capital. Most importantly, rural police officers must master the art of soft policing, which requires superior communication skills centred on extensive dialogue, negotiation, de-escalation, and minimal use of force to build trust and consensus. Iceland’s egalitarian and tight-knit society, which fosters public trust in the police, cooperation, and informal social control, helps officers in this regard. The findings reveal a distinct ‘rural police professionalism’ that extends beyond the workplace and overlaps with and complements ‘urban police professionalism’.