Kiryat Malachi officer allegedly attempted to dissuade break-in victim from filing complaint.
By YAAKOV LAPPIN
An anonymous tip has led the Police Investigations Department (PID) to launch an inquiry into the alleged forging of crime figures by the Kiryat Malachi station commander and five of his officers the Justice Ministry said on Monday.
"We can confirm the existence of a PID investigation into a number of officers at the Kiryat Malachi station," a Justice Ministry spokesman told The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday. "The officers have been suspended for five days. Due to the sensitivity of our investigation, we can't provide further details at this stage," he added.
According to the tip received by the PID, the station's commander, Dep.-Cmdr. Amir Kimhi, found that a spate of burglaries had taken place in the town, and had asked an officer at the station to investigate.
When the officer arrived at the scene of a break-in, he allegedly told the homeowner not to file a complaint, claiming there was a lack of grounds for a police report.
Several officers at the Kiryat Malachi station were interrogated on Monday, including the station's commander. The PID is attempting to ascertain whether Kimhi was aware of the attempt to cover up burglaries, and is looking into suspicions - so far unverified - that he was an active member in the scheme.
Police will decide what measures to take, if at all, after the probe is completed.