Israel Police

The Israel Police (Hebrew: משטרת ישראל‎, translit. Mišteret Yisra'el‎; Arabic: شرطة إسرائيل‎, translit. 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 Minister of Public Security.^[5]

The Israel Police operates throughout Israel, and the Area C of the West Bank, in all places in which Israel has civilian control.^[6][7][8] There are no local or "municipal" police departments in Israel.

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

Israeli police officers and a patrol car

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

Israeli Riot police, Yasam

Patrol Car, Škoda Octavia II 2009

Israeli Police bomb disposal operators

• 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

Israeli police boat on the Sea of Galilee

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]

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 policemen, 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).^[19]

Issued weaponry

M1 Carbine of Mash'az

Remington 700PSS sniper rifle

Jericho 941 F handgun

Standard-issue rifles (non-combat )

• Galil ACE-MAR, A 5.56 mm calibre carbine
• M1 Carbine, also a standard weapon, issued only for the civilian guard,
• M1A1 Carbine, modernized M1 Carbine with folding stock,
• M1 Carbine, modified in a new design as a bullpup rifle,

Standard issue rifle (combat)

• M16 rifle, Colt Commando, CAR15, M4 Carbine
• Galil rifle

Sniper rifles

• Remington 700P
• Mauser SP66 and Mauser 86SR
• Mauser K98 (mainly in the Civil Guard)
• M14 Rifle (mainly in Israel Border Police)
• Galatz – Galil Tzalafim (Galil Sniper version)
• PGM Ultima Ratio (in the YAMAM)
• SR25 (in the YAMAM)
• Barrett MRAD (in the YAMAM)

Handguns

• IMI Jericho 941
• Beretta 71 .22LR
• Browning Hi-Power
• Glock 17 (Yamam and other special units only)

Non-lethal weapons

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

Ranks

English language equivalent	(Hebrew)	Rank	Insignia
Enlisted
Constable	שוטר	Shoter
Corporal	רב שוטר	Rav Shoter
Sergeant	סמל שני	Samal Sheni
Staff Sergeant	סמל ראשון	Samal Rishon
Sergeant First Class	רב סמל	Rav Samal
Master Sergeant	רב סמל ראשון	Rav Samal Rishon
First Sergeant	רב סמל מתקדם	Rav Samal Mitkadem
Sergeant Major	רב סמל בכיר	Rav Samal Bakhir
Sergeant Major of Command	רב נגד	Rav Nagad
Officer
Sub-Inspector	מפקח משנה	Mefake'ah Mishneh
Inspector	מפקח	Mefake'ah
Chief Inspector	פקד	Pakad
Superintendent	רב פקד	Rav Pakad
Chief Superintendent	סגן ניצב	Sgan Nitzav
Commander	ניצב משנה	Nitzav Mishneh
Assistant Commissioner	תת ניצב	Tat Nitzav
Deputy Commissioner	ניצב	Nitzav
Commissioner	רב ניצב	Rav Nitzav

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. ,
• 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

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.^[22] As of January 27, 2015, the police force is considered to be in crisis mode, given that several senior officers have resigned in recent months due to criminal investigations or accusations of sexual harassment of employees. Five police at the rank of major general have resigned in the preceding 18 months amid scandal.^[23] The February 2015 announcement that another senior Israel Police officer was under investigation for sexual harassment met with "severe backlash" by women’s and rape victim advocacy groups, who held protests at police headquarters in a number of municipalities throughout Israel.^[24]

Haaretz also notes the lack of gender equality in the Israel Police, given that 30% of police are women, but not one of those at the rank of major general is a woman.^[25]

See also

• Lahav 433
• Palestinian Civil Police Force
• Administration of Border Crossings, Population and Immigration

References

External links

• English website

Law enforcement in Israel
Israel Police	Israel Border Police Civil Guard National Traffic Police Lahav 433 Yamam Yamas Yasam
Other	Israel Prison Service Military Police Corps

Intelligence agencies and organizations of Israel
Intelligence Community:	Military Intelligence Directorate Institute for Intelligence and Special Operations Security Agency Police
Defense Forces:	Air Intelligence Directorate Naval Intelligence Division Intelligence Corps Combat Intelligence Corps
Defunct:	Liaison Bureau Scientific Relations Bureau