Only 30% of public trust police, says poll
Survey ordered by Public Security Ministry reveals gloomy figures: Only 38% of Israelis believe police are handling their duties successfully
The survey, released Friday, reveals a series of grave figures pointing to a credibility crisis between the public and the police. For example, only 38% of Israelis believe that the police are handling their duties in a successful or very successful manner. Only six out of 10 people will turn to the police for help in case of distress or a nuisance.
Eighty-one percent of the respondents expressed their high appreciation for the police in terms of the foiling of terror attacks. As for the handling of traffic offenses, road accidents and crime, only 35% to 36% expressed their positive appreciation for the police.
Road accidents most important matter (Archive photo: Hagai Aharon)
The public ascribes greater importance to the war on road accidents, more than the war on crime or terror. Twenty-eight percent of the public prefer the police would first handle road accidents, followed by criminal offenses (21%). Only 15% of Israelis believe that the police's most important duty is to deal with terror attacks, while 7% view the prevention of violence and the war against organized crime as most important.
According to the poll findings, only 22% of the respondents noted that the functioning of the police has improved somewhat or considerably over the past two years. Twenty-nine percent of the participants expressed their positive appreciation for the police's professionalism.
Asked whether the police use excessive force or are available and act in a justified manner, only 22% to 24% expressed their positive appreciation.
Sixty-one percent of the public believe that the police are a system one should cooperate with. Eighty-six percent of the respondents expressed their willingness to report accidents or suspicious objects to the police. Seventy-three percent said they would report offenses in neighborhoods. Two-thirds of the survey participants said they would report information which could help solve a crime.
Afraid of messing with criminals
The main reasons preventing the public from reporting crimes to the police are the fear of getting involved in things related to criminal activity and fear of the criminals' response. Those who refrain from turning to the police for help argue that they have no faith in the police's ability to assist them.
The survey also revealed that 70% of the respondents believe the number of police stationed on streets and in public places is insufficient.
Seventy percent to 75% of the participants said that they have a high sense of personal security in their residential area, in their community and in closed commercial and recreation centers. Sixty-eight percent of the respondents said that they have a feeling of security in educational institutions.
In general, youths have a higher feeling of security than adults. Ultra-Orthodox and religious people feel safer than traditional and secular people.
Thirty-one percent of the public had personal contact with the police over the past year, with the most common mode of contact being a traffic report. The respondents who came in contact with a policeman or policewoman expressed moderate appreciation for their conduct.
Among the Arab public there was greater appreciation for the police compared to the Jewish public. The only area where the Jews' appreciation was higher related to the use of power and the inequality exercised by the police.
The highest grades for the police's performance over the past two years were given in the northern and Jerusalem districts. Lower appreciation levels were noted in the Tel Aviv and Judea and Samaria districts.
The 140-page report, which also includes recommendations, states that "the public's trust and appreciation for the police continues the steady decline which began in recent years and has reached an unprecedented low. The police must exert efforts to stop the downward trend and create a change in the public's perception of the police's performance and increase its trust."
Internal Security Minister Avi Dichter said in response to the poll, "In contract with the public's low appreciation for the police, since the beginning of 2008 there has been a dramatic drop in crime, including car thefts and housebreaking. There has also been a great increase in uncovering drugs and we have seen the lowest number of road accident casualties in the past 40 years."
Dichter added that "the police will reach better results and achievements and will improve their image. I hope that the police's image will improve along with the drop in all areas of crime. The police's perennial work plan, which I approved from 2008 to 2012, will allow us to position the police in a much more positive light in the eyes of the public."
The minister instructed Police Commissioner Dudi Cohen to discuss the report findings with the police's top brass and return to him with the obvious conclusions.
