Checking students entering school
Photo: Elad Gershgorn
New school year puts police on high alert
In attempt to fight schoolyard violence, police post guards around educational institutions, reinforce traffic police and permit security guards to inspect backpacks upon entrance to school
Police will be on high alert with the opening of the school year on Sunday. Forces will be placed around educational institutions across the county, including kindergartens, and traffic police will be backed up on the roads.
In addition, school security guards will be permitted to inspect students' backpacks for weapons.
Head of the Israel Police's Operational Division, Commander Yoram Ohion, told Ynet, "The police will be ready on two plains: Security and safety. The security plain will include combative sapper activity and the students' personal security – which will be aimed mainly at the knifing phenomenon."
Ohion explained that security guards were allowed to inspect students' personal bags due to the increase in cases of violence among teenagers and the widespread use of knives.
The police have set three conditions necessary for carrying out such an inspection: The guards are only permitted to check bags as the student enters the school, only if there is a suspicion that the student is carrying a knife, and the inspection must only be carried out with a teacher present.
The commander added that the police are not only concerned with the phenomenon of violence that has developed into frightening dimensions, but will also be tackling road safety issues.
"We attribute a lot to the matter of transport and road safety. The police will be posted near schools and will also help at the crosswalks. In addition, carpool vehicles will be inspected," he said.
The high alert will last for about three days, during which a command post will be set up at the police's operational division. The command post will be in contact with the Education Ministry's situation room, from which it will recieve calls of problems needing police treatment.
Police are preparing for heavy traffic Sunday morning as a result of the high alert.
Ohion urged parents and students to "be alert and turn to the police whenever need be. For example, when you see something suspicious, like a suspicious object, or an environmental hazard, the police will be attentive and will do everything to respond quickly and efficiently".
