Police Commissioner Roni Alsheich on Tuesday, 30 Shevat, addressed a session of the Knesset Law Committee, which held a special session to honor Israel’s police force. The event was the initiative of MK (Yesh Atid) Mickey Levi, a former Jerusalem Police Chief.

The committee members were briefed by the newly-appointed commander who spoke of the changes being implemented under his command. Committee Chairman MK (Bayit Yehudi) Nissim Slomiansky praised Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan for having a vision, for seeing ahead and making the appointment he did. Slomiansky acknowledged the difficulties faced by Erdan, who opted for a candidate from outside the ranks of the Israel Police, taking a great deal of heat for his decision.

Many realize that due to widespread corruption among high-ranking officers over recent years, Erdan decided to select his candidate from outside the department, tapping Alsheich, who was the deputy director of the ISA (Israel Security Agency – Shin Bet).

Erdan stated that unlike the IDF, which is judged by the public based on the actions of the entire military, Israel Police is measured using the actions of each individual policeman, citing each time one officer does not act appropriately, his actions are reflective of the entire department. He added the State of Israel is characterized as being made up of the largest multicultural fabric of people in the world and that the force is working under difficult conditions and police are sacrificing their lives to protect the public.

Alsheich detailed his hashkafa and the function of police. He said “The police make a sharp distinction between the normative citizen even if he has committed an offense, and the criminal”.

“There is no one who does not break a law, no one, including lawmakers and police” he added, then speaking about his new prevention program and his vision to change the norm that a citizen is far less likely to be willing to break a law as well as minimizing the chance of an illegal act slipping between the cracks. “Our job is to raise the norm of obeying the law. To the best of our abilities, we want less enforcement regarding a violation by a normative citizen”.

He the spoke out in strong terms about leaks from ongoing investigations.

Committee members present praised Alsheich and Minister Erdan, acknowledging the mesirus nefesh seen in the department today as police are on the front line against ongoing Palestinian terror attacks.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)