"A police station sign doesn't reduce crime": Former senior official demands change in police

Retired Deputy Commissioner Motti Adrei, former commander of the Shfela district, addresses the triple murder in Baqa al-Gharbiyye and the wave of murders in Arab society. In an interview with Maariv, he argues that the police are operating but a change is needed in force deployment and operational methods, stating that "a police station sign doesn't reduce crime – the presence of officers outside reduces crime."

Retired Deputy Commissioner Motti Adrei, former commander of the Shfela district in the police, was interviewed by Maariv following the triple murder in Baqa al-Gharbiyye, where three men were found dead inside a burning vehicle. Adrei described the incident as exceptionally brutal, intended to send a message in the criminal underworld, but cautioned that the entire responsibility should not be placed on the police. According to him, the police face a long list of tasks, and the difficulty in investigations within Arab society stems from a lack of cooperation, unlike Jewish society where solving cases is easier. He linked the incident to a shift in organized crime: after the police targeted organizations in central Israel, criminal elements in Arab society filled the vacuum. Adrei called for a change in operational approach – different deployment of forces and treating operations as routine and routine as operations. Since the beginning of 2026, 165 victims have been recorded in the Arab sector.