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WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
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Israel
Index
In an attempt to analyze the growth of organized crime and the
degree of effectiveness of the police, in 1977 the government
appointed a Commission to Examine the Topic of Crime in Israel,
known as the Shimron Commission. The group's report cited many
shortcomings in the Israel Police, including the neglect of
training, especially of investigators, high turnover, weak
enforcement of traffic laws, a need for improved community
relations, lack of communications and transportation equipment,
poor supervision of precinct operations, and duplication of
activities between national and district headquarters. Many of the
administrative reorganizations recommended by the Shimron
Commission were adopted, but implementation of major reforms
lagged. In early 1980, the unusual step was taken of introducing an
outsider, General Herzl Shafir, a recently retired IDF officer, as
inspector general. Following an intensive six-month study of police
problems, Shafir developed a five-year strategy to reorganize the
police. Known as Tirosh (new wine), the strategy included plans for
the expanded use of computers to determine the most efficient
employment of manpower and resources; innovative approaches to
community relations; the routine rotation of personnel to counter
staleness and petty corruption; major redeployment of police
resources, including 2,000 new policemen to patrol 800 new local
beats; the establishment of forty-five new police stations, many of
them in Arab communities of Israel; and a 40 percent cutback in
administrative personnel.
After one year in office, Shafir was dismissed on the ground of
inability to accept civilian control. He had demonstrated political
insensitivity by ordering a police raid on the files of the
Ministry of Religious Affairs to investigate suspicions of fraud
and bribery involving the minister. Despite the institution of many
aspects of the Tirosh program, the lack of strong leadership after
Shafir's departure thwarted the comprehensive reforms that he had
advocated. In particular, Shafir's vision of transplanting the high
esprit de corps of the IDF to the Israel Police failed; morale,
which had surged as a result of his efforts, reportedly sank back
to its previous low state.
Data as of December 1988
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