Minister Erdan Orders the Opening of a Police Station in Charish

Minister of Public Security Gilad Erdan has given the order to open a police station in the new city of Charish. The minister has met with Charish Council Head Yitzchak Keshet and the decision was made in addition to the decision to launch a fire station in the city as well as the evacuation of the border police base to permit building apartment buildings in its place.

Keshet recently met with Erdan as well as with Police Commissioner Roni Alsheich and Israel Police Nitzan Coast District Chief Amos Yaakov towards advancing security for the city which will soon be home to the first hundreds of families.

Keshet and his director-general, Yaakov Netanyahu, showed Erdan the plans to begin populating the city in the coming months. They reviewed the security challenges which include issues of a city located on the seamline. Erdan ordered his staff to check into adding Charish to the “City without Violence” plan, which would entitle Charish to surveillance cameras, security and being connected to the special moked dispatcher. Being included in the program would also entitle Charish to additional manpower and budgetary considerations and the establishment of a local police patrol force.

Erdan explained Israel Police stands ready to open a station in Charish. Stage one will include a station and 16 officers as well as a patrol vehicle. As the population continues to grow the temporary arrangement will become permanent.

The Government of Israel in 2010 declared the establishment of the city of Charish a national priority. Not long thereafter a budget of NIS 1.2 billion was allocated. The first families are expected to arrive in the coming months. There are expected to be 10,000 residents by the end of 2016. Officials expect Charish to be home to 100,000 people (25,000 families) within a decade.

At present, 4,500 of the 6,000 apartments built in Charish have been sold. According to local council officials, 78% of the person who purchased apartments to date are young couples ages 25-44 while 81% of married with children. Half of them of coming to Charish from Tel Aviv and the center, 20% from Jerusalem and the surrounding area, 8% from Haifa and 7% from the Charish area.