No longer will citizens remain in the dark regarding the complaints they file with the police. Beginning in the coming weeks, police investigators in all units throughout the country will have to keep in touch with citizens who file complaints. The investigators will be required to update complainants when certain developments in the case occur.
The idea was that of Police Commander Uri Bar-Lev, the Comissioner of the Southern Police District. The goal is to improve both the service to the public and the image of the police, in order to increase public trust.
Residents of the south already benefit from the new practice, where the 52 investigators of the Southern District have had their work loads increased by the new task. When an investigator receives a criminal complaint, he or she becomes responsible to update the complainant if and when a suspect is arrested, and to inform him or her for how long the suspect has been remanded.
In addition, the investigator must phone the complainant again if the suspect is sentenced to jail.
The investigators' reports are gathered in the office of the District Investigations Unit Commander. The Maariv newspaper reports that together with the reports, the responses of the crime victims can also be read. A hotel guest in Eilat, for instance, upon being told that a hotel maintenance worker had been arrested after allegedly sexually harassing her, said, "I truly thank you. I didn't think that the police would act this way towards each citizen. I feel as if you really care."