Israel Police

Synopsis

The Israel Police Heritage House (Museum) serves as a central and overall force museum for the Israel Police. Therein items and means of display are concentrated and displayed that enable the exposure of the characteristics of the Police Force’s intensive activities and rich historical heritage throughout the generations, in chronological sequence.

The story of the Israel Police path, the mile stones of its development, stages in its gearing up, means at its disposal, its interaction with the community, its units, divisions and wings are displayed and documented in the Heritage House, together with periods and major events in its annals and the annals of the State of Israel, are interwoven and blended in its development.

The museum is based on permanent and constantly added to measures and displays spectacular and fascinating exhibits, that include thousands of items, photographs and documents, designed in accordance with advanced principles of presentation, are displayed throughout the many rooms and exhibit areas.

The exhibition includes audio visual projections, two computerized rooms, (a memorial and heroism room and a human resources, education and training room) and in the yard there is a display of operational and historical vehicles and motorbikes and nautical policing vessels.
The principal memorial monument to the Israel Police casualties is situated adjacent to the Museum.

The Israel Police Heritage House (Museum) is located at the Late Commissioner Aharon Sela Police College at Kiryat Ata and is open for group tours (free of charge) by prior arrangement. Visits can be arranged on Tel: (04) 847-8710 / 1

General Background

The Israel Police Heritage House (Museum) was established in 1986 as a joint initiative of Commissioner (Ret.) Ze’ev Ram (at the time of his serving as the Commander of the National College) and the then Commissioner General, the late Commissioner David Krause, who decided upon its establishment, in conjunction with the senior Police Force command staff. The objectives of the Heritage House, as laid down at the time of its establishment, are as follows:

To serve as the Israel Police Force’s central and general force museum.
Documentation and display of the heritage of the Israel Police throughout its history.
The imparting of values and education towards good citizenship.
Nurturing of the knowledge and its substantiation as a means of Police Force education.
To serve as research center with respect to the heritage of the Israel Police.

The Heritage House is situated on the eastern portion of a British Mandate vintage Taggart Fort, that served as a base for the British Mobile Police Force, prior to the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948.

A part of the exhibition is located in an authentic hall that served as a stable for police horses during the time of the British Mandate. During the conversion of the structure into display rooms, great efforts were expended to preserve the characteristics and historical authenticity of the place.

Today this is a value imparting, cultural, educational, training and historical museum institute, of sovereign and national importance, complying with international standards.

The Police Heritage House (Museum) exhibits and reveals the splendid development and activities of the Israel Police throughout its existence, based on topical displays on the one hand and continuous historically chronological displays on the other. The Heritage House was structured around a conception of a “continuous museum”, the principle of which is the exhibition of the heritage in three main planes of display:

The Distant Past - “The Hebrew Policing” re-enacts its creation during the bible period (1220 B. C. until 70 A D.), the “Shomer” (guard) period (1909 - 1921), and the Jewish Policeman during the period of the British Mandate (1917 - 1948).
Display of Major Topics - the organization of the Israel Police, Police commemoration and heroics, (computerized room), policing and security, operations patrol and traffic, bomb disposal unit, nautical policing, community wing and civil defense, animal section, communications and electronics, border police, Investigations Wing, Narcotics and Detectives, Criminal Investigation, Personnel, education and training (computerized room), the Gulf War, the contention of the Israel Police with the intifada (uprising), generations of Ministers and Commissioners General, and hundreds of displays from Police Forces throughout the world.
Periods and Main Events in the Force from 1948 to the Present - A series of rooms and display areas based on important events ongoing chronological development of the Israel Police commencing from 5th of Iyar, 5708 (May 14, 1948) (Independence Day), upon the establishment of the State of Israel and the Israel Police Force (The Jewish Policeman in the State of Israel), and up to the present time. The displays contains exhibits photographs, documents and texts.

The Police Heritage House (Museum) is based on permanent and continuing displays and resources, that are designed based on advanced principles of display.

Thousands of items and photographs are displayed throughout the many rooms and display areas. The large variety of displays incorporates, inter alia: Uniforms * items of equipment * weapons * operational resources * models * insignias and badges, decorations, symbols of rank, criminal investigation items * bomb disposal items and equipment * signaling items * intifada exhibits * Border Police * Community and Civil Defense Wing * narcotics and associated apparatus, items from the Mandate Police * documents * hundreds of historical photographs.

In addition there is an audio visual projection room designated for explanations and the projection of films, as well as “Police Memorial and Heroism” and a “Personnel, Education and Training” room - computerized. Adjacent to the Museum is a display of operational and historic Police vehicles (cars and motorbikes), two nautical police launches as well as the “Police Monument” Commemoration Site - the main monument in commemoration of Israel Police Officers killed in action, who fell during and / or as a result of their service in the Israel Police.

The Police Heritage House (Museum) is open to tours of groups from all facets of the general public, including, of course, members of the Police Force, the Border Police, Community & Civil Guard Department and pensioners and their families, school pupils and students, and organized groups, institutes, factories, pensioners, military units etc.

A visit to the Museum is free of charge but requires prior coordination!

There is no doubt that the Israel Police Heritage House (Museum) reinforces and enhances the image of the Police Force and its valuable contribution to society in a democratic country - in the view of the thousands of visitors exposed to its exhibits every year.

Our address:
Police Study Center, P. O. Box 42, Kiryat Ata, 28000
Telephone number for the coordination of tours: (04) 847-8710, (04) 847-8711
Tours are conditional upon prior telephonic coordination
and upon the participation of at least 10 visitors.

Entrance is free of charge!