An affair between a male and female officer in the Israel Police's traffic division has resulted in disciplinary action after their relationship, carried out during joint shifts, came to light. The two were convicted in a disciplinary court as part of a plea deal and were both formally reprimanded and demoted in rank.
“The defendants chose to engage in intimate relations during their shifts instead of performing their duties,” the police disciplinary tribunal ruled.
The officers, who began serving together in 2019, maintained an intimate relationship for several months without reporting it to their superiors, in violation of police regulations. The relationship extended beyond messaging and included physical contact inside the patrol car and even sexual intercourse during shifts.
According to the indictment, from October 2023 to January 2024, the pair worked approximately 20 shifts together, four of which were led by the male officer as shift commander. During that time, they were seen kissing inside the patrol car on numerous occasions. On at least one instance, while en route to an assignment, they pulled over to the side of the road to have sex. All of this occurred during work hours and without notifying their superiors.
The affair was exposed in late January 2024, when the female officer approached her direct supervisor and described her colleague as “a very close friend,” explaining that they had recently “opened their hearts to each other” over messages.
She told her commander that their respective partners had discovered the messages and suspected the pair were having an affair. When asked directly whether such a relationship existed, she firmly denied it, claiming they had only exchanged personal conversations. It later emerged that her statements were untrue.
The two were charged with conduct unbecoming of police officers and behavior that could harm the public image of the force. Under a plea agreement, they admitted to the charges and were convicted. Prosecutors requested a harsh reprimand, a formal demotion, a conditional further demotion and a financial penalty for the female officer.
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The defense argued against imposing a fine and sought a more lenient punishment. In its final ruling, the court sentenced each officer to a severe reprimand and a one-rank demotion for six months—two of which will be served in practice, with the remainder conditional on avoiding similar offenses for one year.
The tribunal called the behavior especially serious, stating: “Instead of fulfilling their responsibilities, the defendants engaged in intimate relations during their shifts without informing their commanders, who assumed they were acting as expected. This constitutes a severe breach of unit cohesion and the trust placed in officers.”
Although the court acknowledged that the relationship did not involve a power imbalance, it found that the concealment of the affair, the sexual conduct during duty and the false statements given to a commanding officer “justify meaningful disciplinary action.”