Subscribe to Print Edition | Mon., December 22, 2008 Kislev 25, 5769 | | Israel Time: 18:13 (EST+7)   Back to Homepage web haaretz.com Haaretz Toolbar Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Car Rental Books Haaretz Magazine Business Real Estate GA 2008 Travel Week's End Anglo File

Crime kingpin Ya'akov Alperon's murder - a colossal police failure By Jonathan Lis Tags: Yaakov Alperon, Israel News  Ya'akov Alperon's murder Monday is more evidence that the police have no deterrent power over the crime organizations. Criminals don't hesitate to kill each other in the center of Tel Aviv, Netanya or Bat Yam, because they believe the police could neither pin anything on them, nor protect them from rival crime families. Since July, there have been at least five hit attempts on leading underworld figures. Two attempts were made to take out Rami Amira, a member of the Abergil crime organization, in one month. Advertisement In July gunmen shot Amira on Bat Yam's Tobago beach. He was slightly wounded, but Margarita Lautin, who was on the beach with her family, was killed. A month later a bomb was found near his parents' house in Netanya, near a kindergarten. It was dismantled. A few days later gunmen shot Charlie Abutbul in a Netanya restaurant, seriously injuring him. Intelligence and deterrence In fighting organized crime, police should focus their efforts on intelligence and deterrence. Intelligence gathering lets police find out about crimes and murder attempts in advance, and foil them. When there is no intelligence, deterrence should still prevent the crime families from acting. When the criminals fear for their freedom, business and property, they lower their profile. Alperon's murder reflects both an intelligence and a deterrence failure - mainly that of the Tel Aviv Police Central Unit. Alperon was under their surveillance, and there were three attempts to kill him in recent years. But police failed to expose and foil the assassination plan, and the killers set off a large bomb in the heart of Tel Aviv. But the problem is evident in other cities too. Senior police sources say that the main problem is not personnel, but money. The police's technological surveillance devices are light years away from those at the disposal of organized crime. But the last time a police commissioner dared to demand a larger crime-fighting budget, he was rebuked in public by then-prime minister Ariel Sharon. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Madoff not welcome Members of exclusive N.Y. synagogue lose collective $2 billion in Madoff scam. Under threat Shin Bet chief says Hamas rockets can hit outskirts of Be'er Sheva.   1.   Round `em Up 08:11  |  AA 18/11/08   2.   Pistols vs. spectrophotometric analysis 09:00  |  Jim 18/11/08   3.   Round `em up, but... 09:01  |  Anonymous of course! 18/11/08   4.   Mafiosa 09:10  |  zznhl 18/11/08   5.   Saving their skin 09:48  |  Michael 18/11/08   6.   The "Police" in this country are part of the Mob. 15:31  |  Jew 18/11/08   7.   to the knesset and prime minister 20:02  |  dan 18/11/08

Read & React Bradley Burston: Can the First Gaza War be stopped before it starts? Responses: 103 Negev still under fire despite Hamas' day-long Gaza truce Responses: 101 Damascus: Talks with Israel only after U.S., Israeli elections Responses: 27 B'Tselem: 58% of Ofra settlement built on Palestinian land Responses: 52 More Headlines 18:06 Strikes on Negev drop as Hamas holds 24-hour truce 17:31 ANALYSIS / Israel must choose between bad and worse Gaza options 18:00 Assad: Direct peace talks with Israel possible and will happen 16:11 Can the First Gaza War be stopped before it starts? 18:05 Russia: Reports on deliveries of advanced anti-aircraft systems to Iran are untrue 17:40 Livni, on her home life: We're a completely normal family 15:23 Man eats 46 latkes in 8 minutes to win N.Y. Hanukkah contest 20:29 Want to help improve the Haaretz.com homepage? 14:39 World Bank: New crossings for Palestinian goods may hurt exports 01:46 PM opts for hearing in bid to stave off indictment on Rishon Tours case 07:43 2008 marks record-breaking year for returning Israeli citizens 15:36 B'Tselem: 58% of Ofra settlement built on Palestinian land 05:29 Sderot may be a cautious city, but it's no 'ghost town' 12:26 Falafel with bratkartoffeln / My love affair with Tel Aviv 12:28 Be'er Sheva mayor: We are installing Qassam warning system 20:27 Members of exclusive N.Y. synagogue lose collective $2 billion in Madoff scam Previous Editions Select Day 21 dec 19 dec 18 dec 17 dec 16 dec 15 dec 14 dec 12 dec 11 dec 10 dec 09 dec 08 dec

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