The Justice Ministry’s Police Investigation Department filed an indictment on Monday against a traffic police officer for allegedly falsifying and fabricating traffic tickets.
According to the indictment, the officer, who served in the Eilat branch of the Traffic Police, allegedly issued false traffic tickets on numerous occasions while on duty on Eilat roads and on routes leading into the city.
The indictment lists about 20 alleged cases of false entries.
In some cases, the officer allegedly forged drivers’ signatures on the tickets. In others, she allegedly wrote false responses on their behalf or claimed they had refused to sign, even though no encounter with the drivers had taken place.
In certain cases, the officer allegedly told drivers that no ticket would be issued and allowed them to continue on their way.
The drivers later received the tickets by mail.
The indictment, filed with the Beersheba Magistrate’s Court by attorney Keren Lavi, charges the officer with fabricating evidence, forgery by a public servant, abuse of office, and breach of trust.
Tel Aviv scooter rider discovers 63 helmet tickets
Last week, a Tel Aviv resident discovered that he had received 63 tickets for riding a scooter without a helmet, none of which had been sent to him directly.
“I heard about riders who suddenly discovered that reports they did not know about had been registered against them through the municipality’s automatic cameras, which issue reports without an inspector stopping you. So I called the municipal hotline and was shocked.”
The resident now owes the Tel Aviv Municipality about NIS 63,000, and the deadline to appeal some of the tickets has already passed.
Unlike police-issued traffic tickets, local authorities do not send text messages in addition to mailed tickets. Recipients also do not receive notices in their personal area on the government website.
Municipalities have a four-month legal window to send tickets to those photographed. As a result, the tickets can become a source of income for municipalities rather than serving their intended purpose of deterrence. Riders who do not know they have received a ticket do not correct their behavior and may repeat the offense.