Israel's police sees rise in recruitment after years of negative growth

Jerusalem [Israel], January 3 (ANI/TPS): The Israel Police saw a record number of recruits in 2024. Last year, the police force increased by 1,804 police officers, after many years of a negative trend. In 2024, 3,822 police officers were recruited, compared to 2,018 police officers who completed their service.
For comparison, in 2021, 64 more police officers retired than were recruited. In 2022 the figure balanced out, and in 2023 the police force grew by 984 police officers. In total, in 2023 and 2024 the police force grew by 2,788 police officers.
Contrary to claims that the Israel Police received 3,000 new positions each year in 2023-24, and a total of 6,000 positions, in fact it was agreed that an additional 3,225 positions would be given over two years. However, contrary to the summaries, only 1,650 positions were transferred to the police, all of which were filled.
In accordance with an agreement with the Ministry of Finance dated November 18, 2024, a commitment was made to transfer 715 additional standards to the Israel Police at the end of December, but this agreement was unilaterally canceled by the Ministry of Finance.
"The Israel Police has been suffering from decades of attrition in its manpower, following the erosion of wages and service conditions, and the increase in security missions alongside the shortage of manpower," said the Police. "The shortage of police officers is burdening the existing manpower and causing accelerated departures."
"The Finance Ministry's decision to unilaterally freeze, and contrary to commitments, the second and third salary increases for new police officers constitutes a direct harm to the police's ability to recruit police officers, and stopping recruitment could lead to a return to the trend of desertion in the police, and will directly affect state security and service to the citizen," the Police charged. (ANI/TPS)