Fast Draw – Police Response to Missing Settlers

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Right now we have to do everything we can to bring the three kidnapped youths home. After that happens, though, we also have to investigate whether it actually took police several hours to notify the security forces after receiving the first reports.

Public Security Minister Itzhak Aharonovich supported the police today, saying that the incident “couldn’t have been avoided”. Referring to the possibility of a fiasco involving the police response to the incident, Aharonovich said “my recommendation to you is not to ask whether there was a fiasco or not. I know all the details.”

According to the available information the police received the first reports concerning the incident as early as 22:25 on Tuesday, but notified the IDF only several hours later.

iHLS – Israel Homeland Security

Over the last few months there have been several reports of people being treated badly by police call center personnel. In one case a youth called the police and told them he was being sexually attacked. According to the questions of the police officer it was clear that he didn’t believe the youth was in any immediate danger.

This wasn’t the first case where recorded calls proved that police call centers waste precious time asking inane questions. The police commissioner promised to deal with the problem several times, and I’m sure something was done – but it wasn’t enough.

I hope the authorities investigate this issue further. I don’t now what happened in the hours between the first notification and the massive deployment of the security forces, but the public has the right to know.