Israel Police training to be reduced from 7 months to 7 weeks

Israeli Police Commissioner Yaakov Shabtai has reduced the training course for junior police officers from seven months to seven weeks, due to shortage of manpower, Arab48 has reported.

It comes after recent data revealed a rise in resignations with 600 officers leaving their posts in 2021; twice as many as the number of resignations registered in 2020.

Many reasons were cited for the resignations with some officers saying the salaries they were paid are low compared to the hours they work, with no overtime pay or bonuses.

Senior officials in the police force were also said to be misusing their powers and imposing heavy workloads on the officers without giving them enough rest.

Shabtai’s decision to reduce training will fail to provide the junior officers with sufficient tools to work and deal with military tactics appropriately, leaving citizens at greater risk, Arab48 has reported.

Moreover, the junior officers will not undergo training that simulates imperative scenarios, such as violence within the family, burglaries and violent incidents as the lessons will only be taught through a slide show.

READ: Israel Police officers under investigation for violence to get ‘morale boost’

According to Israel’s Ynet News, a senior police officer close to Shabtai said: “The police are running risks here and compromising the professionalism of the police personnel. The ideal situation is for them to stay throughout the rehabilitation process at the National Police Officers College, where they get all the tools, and only after that they go out into the field.”

However, he added that “the Inspector General’s decision is correct because of the reality resulting from a shortage of police personnel. Although this is not an ideal situation, the reality is difficult and must be faced wisely.”

There are 32,000 policemen in Israel.