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The largest volunteer law enforcement organization in the world
The increasing criminal and terrorist activity in Israel highlights the importance of the Civil-- Guard volunteer force in maintaining law and order and preserving security in this country. The constant involvement of its members in all major public events, as well as their presence on the site of every criminal or terrorist attack-illustrates the significant role this organization plays within Israel's internal-- security system. The following article traces the Guard's origins and describes in details its current operational missions and deployment.
On May 15, 1974, a group of terrorists entered a school building in the Northern town of Ma'alot, murdered 22 schoolchildren and injured many more. In the wake of this incident, Israelis throughout the country began, in a spontaneous manner, to organize themselves into neighborhood patrols.
A short time before the Ma'alot incident, the Israeli National Police (INP) assumed responsibility for internal security inside Israel proper. In view of the spontaneous response of citizens to this terrorist attack, the Government created the Civil-Guard Force under the professional supervision of the Police. Within a few short months the Civil-Guard quickly expanded and became the country's largest volunteer agency.
The idea behind the establishment of the Guard was to involve the civilian population in neighborhood armed-patrol duties. Besides street-- patrolling, which is done mainly at night, Guard volunteers also maintain road blocks, conduct security searches of public transportation and operate emergency teams on a round-the-clock basis.
Once the Civil-Guard's immense operational potential became apparent, senior INP officers realized that its volunteers could also fulfill a wide-range of more classical police duties, besides the security-related missions already allocated to them. As a result, the Guard has increasingly been involved in a variety of law-enforcement activities, including crime-prevention, traffic control, rescue work and surveillance.
As of 1986, the Civil-Guard is an integral...