Israel Police

The Israel Police (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.

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. 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.

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

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

Roles
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.

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.

The police are divided into the following main divisional groups:

Headquarters units

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

Departments

 * 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.


 * 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.


 * 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. The Yassam has sub-units of Rapid Response Motorcycle Units.

Weapons and equipment


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.

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).

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)

 * M16 assault rifle, Colt Commando, CAR15, M4 Carbine
 * Galil assault rifle

Sniper rifles

 * Remington 700P
 * Mauser SP66 and Mauser SR86
 * Mauser K98 (mainly in the Civil Guard)
 * M14 Rifle (mainly in Israel Border Police)
 * Galatz – Galil Tzalafim (Galil Sniper version)

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

 * 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.


 * 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.

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.