Israel Police Chief Roni Alshich on Monday, 18 Menachem Av, was briefed by high-ranking officials including the Jerusalem police chief ahead of the Toeiva parade scheduled to take place R”L in Yerushalayim on Thursday, 21 Menachem Av.

The police chief toured the Liberty Bell Park complex, where the Jerusalem District Police officers, headed by District Chief Yoram Halevi, briefed him on the operational preparations for the event and then toured the planned parade route to ensure readiness, as well as discussing the security ring that will be set into place around the marchers.

A tour of the area that took place Monday morning continued with the presentation of the toeiva parade program to the chief, a discussion that effectively sealed the long and thorough staff work carried out by the Israel Police in recent months in order to ensure the proper functioning of the parade in Jerusalem.

Police officials explain, “This is a complex and extensive deployment that took many months, including the deployment of thousands of policemen, both overt and covert, comprehensive intelligence preparation work and the use of technologies relevant to intelligence and command intelligence.”

During the briefing, Alshich said, “The role of the police in a democratic society is measured by its ability to allow all sectors of the population and all voices in society to exercise their freedom of expression.

“The Gay Pride Parade in Jerusalem is a complex event in terms of command and control and in terms of security, and the Israel Police has been preparing for it for a long time.

“The need to allow every person to join the march on the one hand, and on the other hand to alienate by means of legal tools suspected of disturbing public order, poses a real challenge to the policing forces.”

Alshich added, “beyond possible attempts to harm the march and marchers, it is important to remember the terrorist threat and the attempts to carry out terrorist attacks, which are in the eyes of the police in general and the Jerusalem district in particular.

In the past two years, the intelligence system has been used by the Israel Police. According to the concept, intelligence regarding potential hazards is located in all the police districts and is used by forces in the field to implement the detection of irregularities. The concept is backed up by many technological means in headquarters and in the field, and of course in computer infrastructure and supporting applications.

The Israeli police force will deploy around the parade using patrol vehicles, foot police, horseback units, K-9 units, bomb squad, traffic patrols, motorcycle cruisers, border police and other undercover forces, all in order to ensure the proper functioning of the parade until its completion in peace.

A number of years ago, Shira Banki was murdered at the parade by a deranged chareidi man, Yishai Schlisel, who stabbed her to death in protest over the toeiva. He was sentenced to life in prison plus 31 years. Ironically, the victim was not a participant in the parade, but was looking on when attacked.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem / Photo Credit: Israel Police Spokesman Unit via חדשות רוטר)