On video: Ofakim: Police officers try to rescue hostages under constant fire/Israel Police Spokesperson
The police boast of a significant increase in the recruitment of police officers, but their conduct with police officers who request to retire and receive medical recognition of their personal condition receives a cold shoulder.
Many requests submitted since the outbreak of the war lead to bureaucratic procrastination and provoked the true state of the organization.
Until recently, police officers who sought to retire and receive recognition on mental grounds were required to pass an internal medical committee, but last month the organization's Human Resources Division announced a new and controversial move, which is that police officers who complain of incompetence on mental grounds will also be required to appear before an external medical committee in Tel Hashomer. Along with the issuance of at least 2 psychiatric opinions attesting to their mental state.
"I didn't ask to retire and I didn't want to, but I'm doing it out of lack of choice," says A, a police officer who is in the process of retiring on mental grounds, in the conversation.
A, like many, is now forced to go through another hurdle in the retirement process.
"I reached a situation of having no choice, and a situation of either black or white," shared the policeman.
Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai/Reuven Castro
"I have been in warfare all my life, and naturally, even if we develop resilience in the end it penetrates," shared A.
"When it started to hurt on a personal level - family, divorce, my children, along with psychological treatments on my initiative and not on the part of the system, I realized that the situation was only getting worse, and it put me in a kind of dissonance."
"On the one hand, all my life I was first in battle and always at the front, but when there is no choice, there is no choice," claimed A.
"What they're doing right now, towards policemen like me, who just have to press the little trigger, of let's fight for a moment, another second and another moment, then I'm there, with all my strength, but at the same time I'm in another place. I'm in a place where I'm hurting myself and everyone around me, and that can be dangerous - I understand from the treatments that I need to rehabilitate myself."
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Martyrs of the Israel Police and the October 7th Kitchen Police/Photo processing, police spokespersons
On the conduct of the police towards him after he asked to retire and on the burdensome bureaucracy, A. criticized the conduct of the entire police system.
"What I'm getting right now is a ringing cap instead of an enveloping hug," A. was angry.
"I have been meeting about the new committee for the past two weeks. Until recently, there was a certain problem for the police. The procedure was very simple - there is a certain problem, we understand and recognize it, you have a back, you go through the same procedures until retirement. It is not simple, there are many things here, between Between the loyalty we have always given and acted upon and the value we receive from the system, it is sad and frustrating."
"The trauma and difficulties began following a certain activity several years ago, but October 7 activated the triggers, among other things after the fighting in the Otef. It's not like I was at my peak and we got all the sights and I prefer not to talk about it, and I speak on behalf of many police officers." revealed A.
"There are between tens and hundreds who are in the same predicament. We are talking about mental distress. And right now this whole incident and all the system is doing is to make it difficult, in order to preserve the manpower, so that people will not leave because there is a large influx out. And the goal is not to release so quickly."
Watch: A terrorist squad attacks a police car in Sderot
In the video: a terrorist squad attacks a police car in Sderot and shoots in all directions/according to copyright law 27a
Memorial rally to mark 30 days since 32 policemen and policewomen of the southern district fell in battle (out of 58 martyrs in the entire police force, Yad Labanim Be'er Sheva, November 5, 2023/official website, no
Where did we get to?
Sign a document that I agree to a waiver of medical confidentiality, are you a health insurance company?", Zem A. "You are just an employer.
The goal of all of us here is to protect the country, unequivocally, in this way the one who gave me the tools is the system, from here and allowing the system to act as an absolute dictatorship in my life are two different worlds and this is the feeling today - I am another bargaining chip, a statistician in a certain enterprise."
A emphasized How important his fighting over the years is to him, but now the entire police system puts him in an impossible situation. "I will always be loyal to our country and to this land, but unfortunately the system has made me disloyal to it," A. was angry. "It can't be that I I will receive the turning of the back, the slap on the cheek from the system.
For example, all these moves of delaying the medical commissions until retirement.
It's not at the level of the direct commanders - it comes from the top of the organization, who control the doctors of the system, a certain kind of chain."
Security forces were deployed throughout the country.
October 7, 2023/documentation in social networks according to Article 27 A of the Copyright Law
"What I hear, my commanders on the one hand, we are with you, sometimes with a raised eyebrow, but with a statement of let's see, it will be fine," asserts A.
"While they are throwing you - maybe we'll find another position for you? But they ignore the fact that I'm in a place where I can't wear a uniform, can't serve in combat, it's really dangerous, for me and those around me. I can't handle this situation. In the end, the goal is very clear, They don't want to let go, you give and you contribute, you are part of a well-oiled machine that works here and at most we will direct you to another position, that's the perception."
A veteran officer in the organization reinforced A's words and blamed the senior police officers for not being aware of their problems at home.
"The whole story with Horamam, is that there is a tsunami wave that washes over all the police units of retirement for health reasons.
None of the captains who have long been disconnected from the field level does a home inspection and investigates deeply to understand the root problem," said the officer.
"What makes people retire in such a way?
What makes veteran officers not want to stay?
Alongside this are allegations of a culture of maneuvering by commanders in their subordinates, there are quite a few policemen who have been carrying things for years from terrorist incidents and disasters for years and now everything is floating.
The war and the sights simply provoked them."
Watch: the battle over the Sderot police station on October 7
On video: the battle over the Sderot police station/police spokesmen
The security forces at the hostage scene in Ofakim/documentation on social networks according to Section 27 A of the Copyright Law
"Take the Miron disaster for example," continued the officer.
"Many policemen who were at the scene became post-traumatic, and now with the war, requests to retire from the police come from all districts, from all units. Those policemen who are dealing with post-traumatic stress, they cannot stand the load, their souls fail because there is nothing to do, we are also human, suddenly you send them to another committee ? Why do you pile difficulties on police officers, check what their hardships are, why they go down a back slope. Why screw the police officers? Because you are fueled by pleasure, because you have a high rank, we have lost our humanity, heart and soul to uniforms."
"A police officer who wants to retire today is going through the generations of hell," the officer charged.
"First of all, he is assigned out of disgust as if he has leprosy, they stay away from him. In most cases, it is only two months later that a welfare officer comes to the policeman's house and inquires about his condition.
"The policeman in the center" is a shame, for the record.
And all this is happening because of a personnel shortage."
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