Israel Police Explained

Agencyname:Israel Police
Nativename:Hebrew: משטרת ישראל
Nativenamea:Arabic: شرطة إسرائيل
Logocaption:Israel Police logo
Flag:Flag of the Israel Police.svg
Flagcaption:Israel Police flag
Employees:35,000[1]
Volunteers:70,000[2]
Budget:8.383 billion NIS (2010)[3]
Country:Israel
National:Yes
Governingbody:Ministry of National Security
Police:Yes
Oversightbody:Police Internal Investigations Department[4]
Headquarters:National Headquarters of the Israel PoliceKiryat HaMemshala (East Jerusalem)
Chief1name:Kobi Shabtai
Chief1position:Police Commissioner
Website:www.police.gov.il

The Israel Police (Hebrew: משטרת ישראל|''Mišteret Yisra'el''; Arabic: شرطة إسرائيل|''Shurtat Isrāʼīl'') is the civilian police force of Israel. As with most other police forces in the world, its duties include crime fighting, traffic control, maintaining public safety, and counter-terrorism. It is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of National Security.[5] The National Headquarters of the Israel Police is located at Kiryat HaMemshala in Jerusalem.[6]

The Israel Police operates throughout Israel, Area C of the West Bank, and the Golan Heights,[7] —in all places in which Israel has civilian control.[8] [9] It is the sole civilian law enforcement agency in Israel: there are no municipal or regional police forces, though some municipalities operate municipal enforcement units that deal with low-level offenses and provide additional security and as such have the power to issue fines, but do not have police authority.[10]

In an emergency, the police can be reached by dialing 100 from any telephone in Israel.[11]

History

The Israel Police was established in 1948.[12] It is responsible for public security, maintaining public order, securing public events and rallies, dismantling suspicious objects and explosives (EOD), riot and crowd control, law enforcement, crime fighting, detective work, covert operations against drug networks, investigating suspects, road traffic control, operating the Civil Guard, handling civilian complaints, handling youth violence, educational campaigns.[13]

The Israel Police is a professional force, with some 35,000 persons on the payroll. There are also 70,000 Civil Guard volunteers who carry out part-time work in helping to police their own communities.[14]

The police are divided into the following main divisional groups:[15]

Regional districts

The Israel Police is divided into six regional district commands:

Operational units

Weapons and equipment

Each patrol officer is armed with a pistol (handgun) which he or she usually also carries while off duty. Also, each patrol car must have at least one long-arm (i.e. rifle). Police volunteers are usually armed with an M1 Carbine, which they return to the armory after they finish their duty (they do not take the rifle home, but may sign one out for escorting field trips, etc.). Volunteers who have a gun license may use their own personal handgun as a personal defense weapon while on duty, under the condition that the gun and ammunition type is authorized by the police (9 mm). Common pistols owned and carried by volunteers include Glock and CZ-75 designs.[24]

Specialized armaments such as automatic rifles, bolt-action rifles and non-lethal weapons are assigned according to activity and not on personal basis. Border Guard personnel, however, carry an M16 or M4 rifle as a standard personal weapon and can carry it home while off duty (like regular infantry in the Israel Defense Forces).[25]

Ranks

English language equivalent(Hebrew)RankInsignia[26]
Enlisted
ConstableHebrew: שוטרHebrew: Shoter
CorporalHebrew: רב שוטרHebrew: Rav Shoter
SergeantHebrew: סמל שניHebrew: Samal Sheni
Staff SergeantHebrew: סמל ראשוןHebrew: Samal Rishon
Sergeant First ClassHebrew: רב סמלHebrew: Rav Samal
Master SergeantHebrew: רב סמל ראשוןHebrew: Rav Samal Rishon
First SergeantHebrew: רב סמל מתקדםHebrew: Rav Samal Mitkadem
Sergeant MajorHebrew: רב סמל בכירHebrew: Rav Samal Bakhir
Command Sergeant MajorHebrew: רב נגדHebrew: Rav Nagad
Officer
Sub-InspectorHebrew: מפקח משנהHebrew: Mefake'ah Mishneh
InspectorHebrew: מפקחHebrew: Mefake'ah
Chief InspectorHebrew: פקדHebrew: Pakad
SuperintendentHebrew: רב פקדHebrew: Rav Pakad
Chief SuperintendentHebrew: סגן ניצבHebrew: Sgan Nitzav
CommanderHebrew: ניצב משנהHebrew: Nitzav Mishneh
Assistant CommissionerHebrew: תת ניצבHebrew: Tat Nitzav
Deputy CommissionerHebrew: ניצבHebrew: Nitzav
CommissionerHebrew: רב ניצבHebrew: Rav Nitzav

Awards and recognition

General Commissioners

Police Commissioners!General Commissioner!Start year!End year
Yehezkel Sahar19481958
Yosef Nachmias19581964
Pinhas Kopel19641972
Aaron Sela1972
Shaul Rosolio19721976
Haim Tavori19761979
Herzl Shapir1980
Arieh Ivtsan19811985
David Kraus19851990
Yaakov Turner19901993
Rafi Peled19931994
Asaf Hefetz19941997
Yehuda Vilk19982000
Shlomo Aharonishki20012004
Moshe Karadi20042007
Dudi Cohen20072011
Yohanan Danino20112015
Bentsi Sao (interim)20152015
Roni Alsheikh20152018
Motti Cohen20182020
Kobi Shabtai2020

Women police

In 2015, the editorial of Haaretz claimed "Women constitute at least 30 percent of the police force" and criticized there were no women who have reached the rank of major general.[31]

Controversies

A 2014 analysis by Yesh Din questioned the professionalism of the police force of the Judea & Samaria District (also known as the West Bank) as only 7.4% of reported attacks by Israeli citizens on Palestinian persons and property had led to indictments.[32] In 2015, several senior officers resigned due to criminal investigations or accusations of sexual harassment of employees. Five police at the rank of major general resigned in the preceding 18 months amid scandal.[33] The February 2015 announcement that another senior Israel Police officer was under investigation for sexual harassment was criticized by women's and rape victim advocacy groups, who held protests at police headquarters in a number of cities.[34]

An ongoing Israeli programme of inviting U.S. police groups to study Israeli policework in sponsored visits has been the object of controversy for several years.[35]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Israel Police. Israel Police. May 11, 2011. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20110616061504/http://www.police.gov.il/ENGLISH/Pages/IsraelPolice.aspx. June 16, 2011. mdy-all.
  2. Web site: The Israel Police and the Community . Israel Police . May 11, 2011 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20110725183533/http://www.police.gov.il/english/Volunteers/Pages/default.aspx . July 25, 2011 . mdy-all .
  3. Web site: Police Budget . Israel Police . May 11, 2011 . he . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20110306005410/http://www.police.gov.il/mehozot/agafTichnon/Pages/takziv_amishtara.aspx#1 . March 6, 2011 . mdy-all .
  4. Web site: המחלקה לחקירות שוטרים (מח"ש) – Police Investigations Department . Ministry of Justice (Israel) . May 11, 2011 . he . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110628173411/http://www.justice.gov.il/MOJHeb/PraklitotHamedina/MehozotHapraklitutVehamachlakot/Rashit/Mahash.htm . June 28, 2011 . mdy-all .
  5. Web site: About Us: Organizational Structure . Ministry of Public Security. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20120524150905/http://mops.gov.il/English/AboutUsEnglish/OrganizationalStructure/Pages/Defaulte.aspx. May 24, 2012. mdy-all.
  6. Web site: Jerusalem Issue Briefs . 2013-09-04 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100609015346/http://www.jcpa.org/JCPA/Templates/ShowPage.asp?DBID=1&LNGID=1&TMID=111&FID=442&PID=0&IID=3056 . June 9, 2010 .
  7. News: Druze protesters clash with police searching restaurant in Golan village. Jack Khoury. Haaretz. July 11, 2010. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20100714151303/http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/druze-protesters-clash-with-police-searching-restaurant-in-golan-village-1.301306. July 14, 2010. mdy-all.
  8. Web site: Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement. mfa.gov.il. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20100510072314/http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Peace%20Process/Guide%20to%20the%20Peace%20Process/THE%20ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN%20INTERIM%20AGREEMENT#art13. May 10, 2010. mdy-all.
  9. Web site: Suspicious Arguments Against saying Hallel on Yom Ha'atzmaut. Bloging:: Ha Gufa Kashya. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20120326074515/http://www.gufakashya.com/1/post/2008/05/suspicious-arguments-against-saying-hallel-on-yom-haatzmaut.html. March 26, 2012. mdy-all. November 29, 2018.
  10. https://www.gov.il/en/departments/guides/municipal-policing Municipal Policing
  11. Web site: Israel's police, fire and EMS will now come in a package thanks to AI . https://web.archive.org/web/20220930195324/https://www.jpost.com/business-and-innovation/tech-and-start-ups/article-718393 . September 30, 2022 . September 29, 2022 .
  12. Book: Andrade, John. World Police & Paramilitary Forces. January 9, 2016. Springer. 9781349077823. Google Books. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20180511101828/https://books.google.com/books?id=D-1eCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA99&lpg=PA99&dq=israel+police+established+1948&source=bl&ots=C98OPPqIdB&sig=YlmCYtGm1ttr1bUXxNUlYIl_f6s&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjQmazr9c_YAhXOyKQKHbOGDpg4ChDoAQguMAA#v=onepage&q=israel+police+established+1948&f=false. May 11, 2018. mdy-all.
  13. http://www.police.gov.il/english/AboutPolice/Pages/Missionandfunctions.aspx Official definition of Mission and Functions
  14. Web site: The Israeli Civil Guard volunteer police force. police.gov.il. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20110616061504/http://www.police.gov.il/ENGLISH/Pages/IsraelPolice.aspx. June 16, 2011. mdy-all.
  15. all following information according to the official Israel police website cited above
  16. http://www.police.gov.il/mehozot/mishmarhagvol/pages/default.aspx "Mishmar Hagvul" (Hebrew)
  17. Web site: Lappin . Yaakov . 25 August 2010 . Police delegation to head for Haiti at UN request . https://web.archive.org/web/20100902015513/http://www.jpost.com/International/Article.aspx?id=185879 . dead . September 2, 2010. The Jerusalem Post.
  18. News: Preventative Medicine. Gideon. Alon. March 1, 2006. Haaretz. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20121104210642/http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/features/preventative-medicine-1.181487. November 4, 2012. mdy-all.
  19. News: Inspectors, Police, Civilians All Chase 'Jewish Pony' in Holon. Noah. Kosharek. December 24, 2009. Haaretz. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20101202172239/http://www.haaretz.com/jewish-world/news/inspectors-police-civilians-all-chase-jewish-pony-in-holon-1.1455. December 2, 2010. mdy-all.
  20. Web site: With new policing division, Bennett unveils plan to tackle crime among Arabs. Aaron. Boxerman. www.timesofisrael.com.
  21. https://www.police.gov.il/join/yoav https://www.police.gov.il/join/yoav יחידת יואב
  22. https://www.israc.gov.il/_Uploads/dbsAttachedFiles/AK0087-03-2.pdf Department: Testing Laboratory ISO/IEC 17025 Accreditation No. 087
  23. News: Justice minister: Israel Police will no longer investigate itself. Gilad. Cohen. Tova. Tzimuki. Ynetnews . August 18, 2020. www.ynetnews.com.
  24. [#Weapons and equipment|Weapons and equipment]
  25. According to Hebrew Wikipedia entries on M16 and the Galil rifles, which preceded the M16 and was used for 20 years as the main task gun.
  26. Web site: מסלולי קידום במשטרת ישראל . Israel Police Promotion Routes . gov.il . Government of Israel . 12 June 2018 . 12 May 2021 . he.
  27. Web site: Israel General Shares Expertise in Thwarting Terrorism. 2004-07-06 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20040606094347/http://www.adl.org/learn/news/Amichai_Shai.asp . June 6, 2004 . mdy-all .
  28. Web site: Satellite News and latest stories | The Jerusalem Post. fr.jpost.com.
  29. Web site: Everyone wins at Urban Shield 2010. policeone.com. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20111103201453/http://www.policeone.com/SWAT/articles/2831943-Everyone-wins-at-Urban-Shield-2010. November 3, 2011. mdy-all.
  30. http://147.237.77.161/katavaDetails.aspx?katavaId=648 Israeli Police press release
  31. http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/1.641100 On gender equality, Israel police get criminally low marks
  32. Web site: Semblance of Law. Yesh Din. September 12, 2006. November 14, 2014. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20141129014001/http://www.yesh-din.org/infoitem.asp?infocatid=9. November 29, 2014. mdy-all.
  33. http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/.premium-1.639224 Police in crisis as sixth top cop quits in disgrace
  34. http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Latest-police-sexual-assault-scandal-just-tip-of-the-iceberg-390192 ‘Latest police sexual assault scandal just tip of the iceberg’
  35. Alex Kane and Sam Levin, 'SCOOP: Internal ADL Memo Recommended Ending Police Delegations to Israel Amid Backlash,' Jewish Currents 17 March 2022