Israel Police#Ranks

File:Israeli-Police-Facebook--Misdar-001.jpg for Israel's Memorial Day]]

The Israel Police was established in 1948.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=D-1eCwAAQBAJ&q=israel+police+established+1948&pg=PA99|title=World Police & Paramilitary Forces|first=John|last=Andrade|date=January 9, 2016|publisher=Springer|isbn=9781349077823|via=Google Books|url-status=live|archive-url=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|archive-date=May 11, 2018|df=mdy-all}} 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.[http://www.police.gov.il/english/AboutPolice/Pages/Missionandfunctions.aspx Official definition of Mission and Functions] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110613010902/http://www.police.gov.il/ENGLISH/ABOUTPOLICE/Pages/Missionandfunctions.aspx |date=June 13, 2011 }} at the official Israeli police website

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.{{cite web|url=http://www.police.gov.il/english/Pages/IsraelPolice.aspx|title=The Israeli Civil Guard volunteer police force|website=police.gov.il|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110616061504/http://www.police.gov.il/ENGLISH/Pages/IsraelPolice.aspx|archive-date=June 16, 2011|df=mdy-all}}

The police are divided into the following main divisional groups:all following information according to the official Israel police website cited above

File:Mounted police in Israel.jpg, Yasam]]

File:Maale Adumim police station, November 2017.jpg police vehicle]]

File:ניידת משטרת התנועה.jpg patrol car]]

File:SsangYong Rexton and other Israeli police vehicles in Rahat.jpg

File:Israeli-Police-Facebook--Bomb-Disposal-005 (cropped).jpg operators]]

The Israel Police is divided into six regional district commands:

• Central District
• Southern District
• Northern District
• Judea and Samaria District
• Tel Aviv District
• Jerusalem District
• Coastal District Police

• The Security and Community Policing Branch is responsible for ordinary law enforcement tasks such as conducting patrols in public and responding to emergency calls.
• The Israel Border Police ("MAGAV") is the combat arm of the police and mainly serves in specific areas – the borders, Jerusalem, and the West Bank. It is responsible for law enforcement in the rural countryside and for putting down civil unrest, particularly rioting. It participates in counter-terrorism operations. The Border Police has both professional officers on payroll and conscripts who serve in the Border Police as their mandatory three-year national service.[http://www.police.gov.il/mehozot/mishmarhagvol/pages/default.aspx "Mishmar Hagvul" (Hebrew)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110812165131/http://www.police.gov.il/mehozot/mishmarhagvol/pages/default.aspx |date=August 12, 2011 }} at Israel Police website It also has volunteer personnel. The Israel Border Police has four tactical units:
• Yamam (National Counter-Terrorism Unit) - the police's counter-terrorism and hostage rescue unit. It is known as one of the most experienced and specialized units of its kind in the world. The unit has taken part in hundreds of operations in and outside the borders of Israel.{{Cite web |last=Lappin |first=Yaakov |date=25 August 2010 |title=Police delegation to head for Haiti at UN request |url=https://www.jpost.com/International/Article.aspx?id=185879|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100902015513/http://www.jpost.com/International/Article.aspx?id=185879 |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 2, 2010|work=The Jerusalem Post}}
• Yamas (Mista'arvim Unit) - a counter-terrorist commando unit. Its operators are trained in conducting operations undercover, disguised as civilians. Although officially part of the Border Police, it is directly subordinate to Shin Bet, the Israeli internal security service.
• Samag (Tactical Counter-Crime and Counter-Terror Rapid Deployment Unit)
• Matilan (Intelligence Gathering and Infiltrations Interception Unit)
• The Yasam (Special Patrol Unit) is a riot police and crowd control unit, and also participates in counter-terror operations. The unit, originally started as Riot Police, was called upon to assist with counter-terror operations, as well as dismantling settlements in accordance with Israeli court decisions.{{cite news|url=http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/features/preventative-medicine-1.181487|title=Preventative Medicine|first=Gideon|last=Alon|date=March 1, 2006|newspaper=Haaretz|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121104210642/http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/features/preventative-medicine-1.181487|archive-date=November 4, 2012|df=mdy-all}} The Yasam has sub-units of Rapid Response Motorcycle Units.{{cite news|url=http://www.haaretz.com/jewish-world/news/inspectors-police-civilians-all-chase-jewish-pony-in-holon-1.1455|title=Inspectors, Police, Civilians All Chase 'Jewish Pony' in Holon|first=Noah|last=Kosharek|date=December 24, 2009|newspaper=Haaretz|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101202172239/http://www.haaretz.com/jewish-world/news/inspectors-police-civilians-all-chase-jewish-pony-in-holon-1.1455|archive-date=December 2, 2010|df=mdy-all}}
• The National Traffic Police is the police's traffic enforcement arm. It is divided into five regional districts and a national patrol unit.
• The Civil Guard is the police's force of part-time volunteer officers, who comprise the majority of Israeli police officers. It is officially a division of the Security and Community Policing Branch. Civil Guard volunteers have limited police powers. They carry out patrols in public, are trained to provide the initial response to any security situation they encounter until regular police forces arrive, and partake in traffic control. The Civil Guard also has search and rescue teams.
• Lahav 433 is the police's unit for investigations of serious crimes and corruption.
• The Police SIGINT Unit is responsible for signals intelligence (SIGINT) activities.
• The Dog Handling Unit is responsible for operating police dogs.
• The Police Aerial Unit operates police helicopters.
• The Police Marine Unit is responsible for operating boats and has police divers.
• The Israel Police Bomb Disposal Unit is the bomb squad of the police. It deals with operations and investigations which involve suspicious objects, explosive devices or military ordnance.
• The Seif Unit is responsible for tackling crime in the Israeli-Arab population.{{Cite web|url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/with-new-policing-division-bennett-unveils-plan-to-tackle-crime-among-arabs/|title=With new policing division, Bennett unveils plan to tackle crime among Arabs|first=Aaron|last=Boxerman|website=www.timesofisrael.com}}
• The Yoav Unit is responsible for enforcement of land use and construction regulations in the Negev, particularly among Bedouin communities.[https://www.police.gov.il/join/yoav https://www.police.gov.il/join/yoav יחידת יואב]
• The Division of Identification and Forensic Science is responsible for forensic science in investigations. It has laboratories dealing with latent fingerprint analysis, arson investigation, mass spectrometry and explosive analysis, digital evidence, DNA and other areas of biology, firearms, and questioned document examination.[https://www.israc.gov.il/_Uploads/dbsAttachedFiles/AK0087-03-2.pdf Department: Testing Laboratory ISO/IEC 17025 Accreditation No. 087]
• The Internal Investigations Department is responsible for investigating wrongdoing by police personnel. It is officially independent from the police and under the jurisdiction of the Justice Ministry.{{Cite news|url=https://www.ynetnews.com/article/BkLr2MtMw|title=Justice minister: Israel Police will no longer investigate itself|first1=Gilad|last1=Cohen|first2=Tova|last2=Tzimuki|newspaper=Ynetnews |date=August 18, 2020|via=www.ynetnews.com}}

File:Police boat on Sea of Galilee.jpg]]

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File:Isuzu D-Max Border Police car in Israel 06.jpg vehicle]]

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.Weapons and equipment at official Israel police website. All following lists of weaponry are from this source as well.

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).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.

• On July 6, 2004, the Israel Police received an award from the Anti-Defamation League for its counter-terror efforts and for passing seminars of counter-terror measures to the FBI and local police in the US.{{cite web |url=http://www.adl.org/learn/news/Amichai_Shai.asp |title=Israel General Shares Expertise in Thwarting Terrorism|access-date=2004-07-06 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040606094347/http://www.adl.org/learn/news/Amichai_Shai.asp |archive-date=June 6, 2004 |df=mdy-all }}{{Cite web|url=http://fr.jpost.com/Tags/satellite|title=Satellite News and latest stories | The Jerusalem Post|website=fr.jpost.com}}
• In October 2010, YAMAM, the counter-terrorism unit 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.{{cite web|url=http://www.policeone.com/SWAT/articles/2831943-Everyone-wins-at-Urban-Shield-2010/|title=Everyone wins at Urban Shield 2010|website=policeone.com|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111103201453/http://www.policeone.com/SWAT/articles/2831943-Everyone-wins-at-Urban-Shield-2010|archive-date=November 3, 2011|df=mdy-all}}
• In October 2011, YAMAM won the "Urban Shield" SWAT competition held by the Alameda County Sheriff's Office a second time.[http://147.237.77.161/katavaDetails.aspx?katavaId=648 Israeli Police press release] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120425132153/http://147.237.77.161/katavaDetails.aspx?katavaId=648 |date=April 25, 2012 }}, 2.11.2011 (Hebrew)

File:Flag of Chief of Israel Police.svg

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.[http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/1.641100 On gender equality, Israel police get criminally low marks] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150206074122/http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/1.641100 |date=February 6, 2015 }} Haaretz, 6 Feb 2015

A 2014 analysis by Yesh Din questioned the professionalism of the police force of the Judea and 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.{{cite web|url=http://www.yesh-din.org/infoitem.asp?infocatid=9|title=Semblance of Law|publisher=Yesh Din|date=September 12, 2006|access-date=November 14, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129014001/http://www.yesh-din.org/infoitem.asp?infocatid=9|archive-date=November 29, 2014|df=mdy-all}}

In 2015, several senior officers resigned due to criminal investigations or accusations of sexual harassment of employees. Five police officers at the rank of major general resigned in the preceding 18 months amid scandal.[http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/.premium-1.639224 Police in crisis as sixth top cop quits in disgrace] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150127020041/http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/.premium-1.639224 |date=January 27, 2015 }} Haaretz, 27 Jan 2015 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.[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’] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150206093146/http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Latest-police-sexual-assault-scandal-just-tip-of-the-iceberg-390192 |date=February 6, 2015 }} The Jerusalem Post, 6 Feb 2015

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.Alex Kane and Sam Levin, [https://jewishcurrents.org/scoop-internal-adl-memo-recommended-ending-police-delegations-to-israel-amid-backlash 'SCOOP: Internal ADL Memo Recommended Ending Police Delegations to Israel Amid Backlash,'] Jewish Currents 17 March 2022

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• Israel Border Police - the combat branch of the Israeli Police
• YAMAM - Israel's National Counter-Terror Unit
• Lahav 433
• Palestinian Civil Police Force
• Administration of Border Crossings, Population and Immigration
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• [http://www.police.gov.il/english/ English website]
• [http://www.police.gov.il/english/AboutUs/Structure/02_chart.asp Diagram – organizational structure]

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Category:National police forces