From ACRI's video on the Stop and Frisk BillACRI welcomes the changes to the Stop and Frisk Bill, as approved yesterday by the Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee. The proposal that was approved substantially restrains the powers of the police and achieves a better balance between the need to preserve public order and individual rights.
The law, which in its proposal stage included a power to search someone’s person without reasonable suspicion, now poses less of a threat to civilians. The new law is more limited, permits searches in cases of real verbal abuse and not mere insults, and includes stricter conditions for conducting more invasive searches.
Nevertheless there is still significant concern regarding unacceptable profiling of Ethiopians, Arabs and people of Middle Eastern background. These communities are still at risk of over policing, in the absence of supervision of police conduct on this matter. The moving film of journalist Gal Gabai on the program “The System” demonstrated the unacceptable and discriminatory behaviour of police, and the fact that there is a need for closer supervision of police activities on the ground. There is also a need to hold separate hearings on the issue of profiling, in order to combat this unacceptable phenomenon.
For more information please see:
Another Achievement in the Fight Against the Stop and Frisk Bill
First Achievement in the Fight Against the Stop and Frisk Bill
ACRI’s petition to the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee (in Hebrew), November 2015.
Watch and share ACRI’s video about the Stop and Frisk Bill, November 2015
