Police chief Insp.-Gen. Yohanan Danino declared youth violence the
country’s “No. 1 threat” on Tuesday, saying it was “equal to external threats”
such as terror on Israel’s borders.
Speaking at a panel on Personal
Security and Law Enforcement at the Herzliya Conference, Danino lamented the
state of today’s youth, noting that much of the spike in violence in Israeli
society was coming from teenagers and young adults.
Although he did not
make any specific references to recent racism and violence by fans of the Beitar
Jerusalem soccer team, many of those recently arrested for racism-related crimes
and violence were teenagers or young adults.
“Anyone looking at the
future must worry about our youth, the reduced motivation for being drafted into
the army and the reduced level of youth volunteers,” he said.
Danino said
police frequently found 12- and 13-year-olds in questionable areas, committing
crimes at 2 a.m. When officers ask how the teenagers plan to get home or whether
their parents know where they are, he said, “there are no real
answers.”
He also addressed the public image of the police, saying that
police precincts declare publicly that their goal is to “raise the faith of the
public in the police.”
The police chief discussed the importance of
balancing law enforcement with honoring personal freedom, and expressed optimism
that both could be accomplished. He added that the police were succeeding in
reducing many forms of crime, and responding faster to citizens’ calls for
help.
Danino also blasted the extent of public corruption and said that
despite police success in fighting the phenomenon, it was still
widespread.
In addition, he mentioned joint efforts with Palestinians and
Jordanians regarding the “war on traffic accidents.”
Finally, he said
police were working hard to prepare for US President Barack Obama’s visit and
that it was a big responsibility to facilitate the visit going off without any
problems.