State Comptroller and Ombudsman, Matanyahu Englman participated today (Wednesday, 7.12.22) in the MUNI EXPO 2022 local government conference. According to him, “Governance is first of all a sense of security on the streets. Without governance, there is no deterrence toward criminals and violent people. The basic right to which each and every citizen is entitled —going to work in the morning and wishing to return in the evening just as they left—has been undermined. The most important obligation is to return (restore?) that sense of security.
"We are at present conducting an audit on agricultural crime. The report will be published several months from now, after completing the audit. The need for this audit became clearer on the backdrop of the assessment of the Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Development, that the direct and indirect economic damage caused by agricultural crime in 2016 was estimated already then at approximately NIS 1.2 billion a year.
"The report on agricultural crime is just one more in a series of audit reports prepared by us on how the Government of Israel and law enforcement agencies are coping with violence and strengthening governance: A report on Operation Guardian of the Walls (SHOMER HA'HOMOT) in the mixed cities and a report on governance in the Negev, in which it was found that the local authorities do not collect the Arnona municipal property taxes as required in Bedouin settlements and Arab neighborhoods in Ramle. It is important to state here: Governance begins with tax collection.
"In addition, we published reports on prevention of violence between spouses, absence of municipal enforcement toward convenience stores (kiosks) selling alcohol and drugs illegally, poor enforcement of electric scooter regulations, protection of children and youth in the digital environment, confiscation of weapons in the Arab sector, a report on prevention of drugs and alcohol, as well as the parent patrol (sayeret horim) whose presence can reduce violence among youth. Without denigrating from the police’s responsibility, I have no doubt that a parent patrol in Kiryat Shmona could have saved Yoel L'hanghal.
"The common denominator of all these topics is the need for cooperation between the authorities in strengthening enforcement and education.
There is another way of making terrorism and criminality unprofitable: Civil lawsuits. In various reports, I recommended to the State Attorney to file civil lawsuits. But I say here to mayors: you too may file civil lawsuits for damage rendered to your authorities. When someone fails to pay a parking ticket, the authorities take action to collect it, and this is important. However, there is no reason not to sue people who riot and cause damage and destruction to municipal infrastructure. Take “Guardian of the Walls” as an example. Whoever destroys a traffic light or burns municipal property, I call upon mayors: File a civil lawsuit against them, alongside the criminal enforcement. In the wake of our reports, the Sate Attorney has begun filing civil lawsuits on this matter.
'I wish to call upon the ministers of the incoming government and mayors: join hands and work together. The absence of personal security is not predestined, and elected officials must take action to restore it, for the sake of Israeli society”.