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Israel Police
משטרת ישראל
Emblem of Israel Police
Israel Police logo
Flag of Israel Police
Israel Police flag
Agency overview
Employees 35,000[1]
Volunteers 70,000[2]
Annual budget 8.383 billion NIS (2010)[3]
Legal personality Governmental: Government agency
Jurisdictional structure
National agency Israel
Governing body Israeli Ministry of Public Security
General nature
  • Law enforcement
  • Civilian police
Operational structure
Overviewed by Police Internal Investigations Department[4]
Headquarters National Headquarters of the Israel PoliceKiryat HaMemshala (East Jerusalem)
Agency executive Rav-Nitzav Yohanan Danino, Police Commissioner
Website
http://www.police.gov.il/

The Israel Police (Hebrew: משטרת ישראל‎, Mishteret Yisra'el) 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 Minister of Public Security.[5]

The Israel Police operates throughout Israel proper, the Golan Heights and Area C of the West Bank, in all places in which Israel has civilian control.[6][7] There are no local or "municipal" police departments in Israel.

The current police commissioner is Rav-Nitzav Yohanan Danino, who succeeded Rav-Nitzav Dudi Cohen on May 1, 2011.[8]

The National Headquarters of the Israel Police are located at the Government offices named after Begin in Jerusalem.[9]

In an emergency, the police can be reached by dialing 100 from any telephone in Israel.[10]

Roles[]

Israel police officers

Israeli police officers and a patrol car

HaMate HaArtzy 2 Jerusalem

National Police Headquarters, Jerusalem

The Israel police 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.[11]

Organization[]

Diagram – organizational structure

The Israel Police are a professional force, with some 35,000 persons on the payroll. There are also 70,000 Civil Guard volunteers who contribute time to assist officers in their own communities.[12]

The police are divided into the following main divisional groups:[13]

Headquarters units[]

  • International Relations
  • Legal Counsel
  • Immigration Control
  • Audit & Accounts
  • Economic Crimes
  • Public Complaints
  • Disciplinary Court
  • Service Administration
  • Safety
  • Appeals
  • Controller
  • Spokesperson

Departments[]

Mounted police in Israel

Israeli Riot police, Yasam

Israel Police squad car

Latest Patrol Cars, Škoda Octavia II 2009

  • Human Resources
  • Investigation & Intelligence
  • Logistic Support
  • Organization & Planning
  • Traffic – includes the National Traffic Police
  • Patrol & Security
  • Community & Civil Guard

Regional districts[]

  • Central District
  • Southern District
  • Northern District
  • Judea & Samaria District
  • Tel Aviv District
  • Jerusalem District

Operational units[]

  • The Border Police ("MAGAV") is the combat arm of the police and mainly serves in unquiet areas – the borders, the West Bank, and the rural countryside. The Border Police has both professional officers on payroll and Israel Defense Forces (IDF) conscripts who serve in the Border Police as their mandatory three-year service in the IDF.[14]
  • The Yamam (acronym for Special Police Unit) is the police elite counter terror hostage rescue unit. It is known as one of the most experienced and specialized in the world. The unit has taken part in hundreds of operations in and outside the borders of Israel.[15]
  • The Yasam is the on-call counter-terror unit in each district. The units, originally started as Riot Police, were called upon to assist with counter-terror operations, as well as dismantling settlements in accordance with the Israeli court decisions. It has gained a reputation of being the most elite force on call and ready at any time, although charged by both Israeli settlers and Palestinians of using excess brutality.[16] The Yassam has sub-units of Rapid Response Motorcycle Units.[17]

Weapons and equipment[]

Police boat on Sea of Galilee

Israeli police boat on the Sea of Galilee

ILPD Bell206

An Israeli Police Bell 206 helicopter

Each policeman 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 police's 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 personal defense weapon for their police 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.[18]

Heavy armaments such as assault rifles, sniper rifles and non-lethal weapons are assigned according to activity and not on personal basis.

Border Guard policemen, however, carry an M16 or M4 assault rifle as a standard personal weapon and can carry it home while off-duty (like regular infantry in the Israel Defense Forces).[19]

Issued weaponry[]

M1-carbine02

M1 Carbine of Mash'az

En Remmy 700pss

Remington 700PSS sniper rifle

Jehrico 941 F

Jericho 941 F handgun

Standard-issue rifles (non-combat)[]

  • M1 Carbine (also standard issued weapon of the Mash'az – Civil Guard)
  • M1A1 Carbine (modernized M1 Carbine with folding stock)
  • M1 Carbine bullpup
  • Micro-Galil 5.56 mm submachine gun

Standard-issue assault rifle (combat)[]

Sniper rifles[]

Handguns[]

Non-lethal weapons[]

  • Police batons
  • Tear gas
  • Flash grenades
  • Rubber bullets
  • Pepper spray
  • Water cannon
  • Tasers

Ranks[]

British equivalent (Hebrew) Rank Insignia
Enlisted
Constable שוטר Shoter File:Ilpo0.svg
Corporal רב שוטר Rav Shoter File:Ilpo2.svg
Sergeant סמל שני Samal Sheni File:Ilpo3.svg
Staff Sergeant סמל ראשון Samal Rishon File:Ilpo4.svg
Sergeant First Class רב סמל Rav Samal File:Rasal rank-Israeli Police.jpg
Master Sergeant רב סמל ראשון Rav Samal Rishon Rasar rank-Israeli Police
First Sergeant רב סמל מתקדם Rav Samal Mitkadem Rasam rank-Israeli Police
Sergeant Major רב סמל בכיר Rav Samal Bakhir Rasab rank-Israeli Police
Sergeant Major of Command רב נגד Rav Nagad Ranag rank-Israeli Police
Officer
Sub-Inspector מפקח משנה Mefake'ah Mishneh Mefakeah Mishne
Inspector מפקח Mefake'ah Mefakeah
Chief Inspector פקד Pakad Pakad
Superintendent רב פקד Rav Pakad Rav pakad
Chief Superintendent סגן ניצב Sgan Nitzav Sgan Nizav
Commander ניצב משנה Nitzav Mishneh Nizav Mishne
Assistant Commissioner תת ניצב Tat Nitzav Tat nizav
Deputy Commissioner ניצב Nitzav Nizav
Commissioner רב ניצב Rav Nitzav Rav Nizav
Source: Israel Police website (Hebrew version)

Honors and awards[]

  • July 6, 2004: Received an award from the Anti-Defamation League for its counter terror efforts and for passing seminars of counter-terror measures to FBI and local USA police. [1],[2]
  • In October 2010 the elite unit YAMAM of the Israeli Police won the "Urban Shield" SWAT competition held by the Alameda County Sheriff's Office setting a new record in the competition.[20]
  • In October 2011 the elite unit YAMAM of the Israeli Police won the "Urban Shield" SWAT competition held by the Alameda County Sheriff's Office again.[21]

List of General Commissioners[]

Police Commissioners
General Commissioner Start year End year
Yehezkel Sahar 1948 1958
Yosef Nachmias 1958 1964
Pinhas Kopel 1964 1972
Aaron Sela 1972
Shaul Rosolio 1972 1976
Haim Tavori 1976 1979
Herzl Shapir 1980
Arieh Ivtsan 1981 1985
David Kraus 1985 1990
Yaakov Turner 1990 1993
Rafi Peled 1993 1994
Asaf Hefetz 1994 1997
Yehuda Vilk 1998 2000
Shlomo Aharonishki 2001 2004
Moshe Karadi 2004 2007
Dudi Cohen 2007 2011
Yohanan Danino 2011

Controversies[]

A 2014 analysis by Yesh Din questioned the professionalism of the police force of the Judea & Samaria District as only 7.4% of reported attacks by Israeli citizens on Palestinian persons and property had led to indictments.[22]

See also[]

References[]

  1. "Israel Police". Israel Police. http://www.police.gov.il/english/Pages/IsraelPolice.aspx. Retrieved May 11, 2011. 
  2. "The Israel Police and the Community". Israel Police. http://www.police.gov.il/english/Volunteers/Pages/default.aspx. Retrieved May 11, 2011. 
  3. "Police Budget" (in Hebrew). Israel Police. http://www.police.gov.il/mehozot/agafTichnon/Pages/takziv_amishtara.aspx#1. Retrieved May 11, 2011. 
  4. "המחלקה לחקירות שוטרים (מח"ש) – Police Investigations Department" (in Hebrew). Ministry of Justice (Israel). http://www.justice.gov.il/MOJHeb/PraklitotHamedina/MehozotHapraklitutVehamachlakot/Rashit/Mahash.htm. Retrieved May 11, 2011. 
  5. Organizational Structure of Ministry of Public Security
  6. Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement
  7. Jack Khoury (11.07.10). "Druze protesters clash with police searching restaurant in Golan village". http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/druze-protesters-clash-with-police-searching-restaurant-in-golan-village-1.301306. Retrieved January 7, 2010.  Article discussing Jerusalem police and the civilian attitude to them. The image in the article shows a policeman protecting an old man at the Wailing wall in Jerusalem, a holy Jewish site recaptured by Israel in the Six Day War
  8. http://www.jpost.com/NationalNews/Article.aspx?id=218596
  9. Jerusalem Issue Briefs at the Wayback Machine (archived June 9, 2010)
  10. Emergency telephone number#Emergency numbers See Israel in the list
  11. Official definition of Mission and Functions at the official Israeli police website
  12. The Israeli Civil Guard volunteer police force
  13. all following information according to the official Israel police website cited above
  14. "Mishmar Hagvul" (Hebrew) at Israel Police website
  15. Police Delegation Head for Haiti at U.N. Request
  16. MK Arie Eldad talks of Yassam brutality at Amona settlement or Anarchists at Sheikh Jarach complain of Yassam brutality
  17. Yassam moped mounted policemen chase a pony
  18. Weapons and equipment at official Israel police website. All following lists of weaponry are from this source as well.
  19. 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.
  20. Everyone wins at Urban Shield 2010
  21. Israeli Police press release, 2.11.2011 (Hebrew)
  22. "Semblance of Law". Yesh Din. September 12, 2006. http://www.yesh-din.org/infoitem.asp?infocatid=9. Retrieved November 14, 2014. 

External links[]

All or a portion of this article consists of text from Wikipedia, and is therefore Creative Commons Licensed under GFDL.
The original article can be found at Israel Police and the edit history here.
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