2 officers hurt in altercation with drunks at water park

Several months after government passed legislation banning people from drinking in public areas, police are enforcing new law with full force.

By YAAKOV LAPPIN
drinking liquor 311 (photo credit: AP)
drinking liquor 311
(photo credit: AP)
Several months after the government passed legislation banning people from drinking in public areas, police are enforcing the new law with full force, spilling out the contents of hundreds of alcoholic beverages being consumed publicly around the country every weekend.
Some incidents have turned violent. Officers in the Nahshonit water park, near Rosh Ha’ayin, came under violent assault by a drunken family after asking members of the family to stop drinking in public, police said.
“One officer was beaten and thrown to the ground.
He felt compelled to use pepper spray to protect himself against his attackers. A female suspect then choked another officer from behind and bit him, causing an injury,” police said in a statement.
Two officers were wounded in the incident and required medical attention.
Four members of the same family – three men and a woman – were arrested and had their remands extended until Tuesday at the Petah Tikva Magistrate’s Court.
Coastal Police recorded 80 cases of alcohol confiscation, while 144 such incidents were recorded by Amakim Police over the weekend.
“We will continue this activity throughout the summer months,” Amakim Police said in a statement.
Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld told The Jerusalem Post that officers were seeking to prevent alcohol-fueled violence from turning into large-scale lethal brawls, which end all too easily in stabbings and serious injury, and can lead to loss of life.
“We don’t just spill out the alcohol. First we speak to the public and explain that we are on patrol and are implementing a new law. We warn the drinkers that if they don’t go indoors with their alcoholic beverages, we will confiscate them the next time we see them. We are seeking to ensure that young people get home safely, and prevent more serious incidents from turning into highly violent and potentially lethal events,” Rosenfeld said.
“Alcohol-fueled fights can turn into major incidents which include the use of knives and broken bottles.
This is what we are trying to prevent,” Rosenfeld added.
The enforcements are often at their height between 10 p.m. and midnight, before youths are very intoxicated and when tense atmospheres can end in violence.
“We have many more stabbing incidents late at night, when youths are on their way home. This is also when we see most of the drinking and driving offenses,” Rosenfeld said.