Following the fatal shooting of two policemen in the Jordan Valley, Israel Police is working to modify its operating protocol for car stops to better protect officers.

The final touches are being placed on the new operational order, which is expected to be distributed to the nation’s police personnel in coming weeks; it calls on police to approach a stopped vehicle, and to cease the current practice in which a motorist approaches a police vehicle. In addition, one policeman will tend to dealing with the stopped vehicle while the second will position himself to provide cover and permit a response should a situation demand such action. The new operational change more closely reflects N. American police practice for many departments and state police agencies.

The policeman dealing with the driver will be instructed to focus on his hands, to make certain he is not reaching for a weapon while the second officer will focus on all other occupants of the vehicle.

A senior Israel Police official has stated the era of a police car stopping and calling on the driver to approach over the vehicle’s PA system has ended, adding that until the new directive is officially distributed to personnel, officers engaged in vehicle stops are urged to use extreme caution.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)