BREAKING NEWS

Police officers to fill in for missing school security guards

Police officers will temporary fill in for missing school security guards until after the Jewish New Year, Lt.-Cmdr. Meir Ben-Yishai, head of the Israel Police's Security Department, announced on Monday. The start of the 2009 school year has been marked by a shortage in school guards, with an estimated 10 percent of all guard positions unfilled. Ben-Yishai met with security officers and Education Ministry officials in order to assess security at education centers ahead of the start of the school year. Ran Erez, head of the Secondary School Teachers Organization, has threatened to launch a strike if the vacant positions are not filled.