Aharanovitch orders creation of committee to examine city police issue

By YAAKOV LAPPIN
Minister for Public Security Yitzhak Aharanovitch has ordered the creation of a committee to examine the issue of city police forces on Sunday. The order came after the Public Security Ministry confirmed last week it was interested in advancing the idea of some police forces operating under a decentralized chain of command, and answerable, to some degree, to city mayors. At the same time, Aharanovitch asked that the issue of city police forces be struck off of the agenda of Monday's government meeting, saying the issue was complex and required in-depth study first. Last week, Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz backed calls for the setting up of city polices, saying the finance ministry could help fund the plan, and that it could help generate growth in local economies.