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The Haifa Municipality and Israel Police are expanding a joint enforcement campaign aimed at curbing violence, drugs and weapons in the city after a series of weekend raids uncovered what officials described as “weapons of war” carried by people arriving from outside Haifa. Authorities said that over the past weekend, officers seized an airsoft pistol, a knife, clubs, narcotics and large quantities of alcohol. “Negative elements who come here from outside the city to undermine security will be dealt with harshly,” Mayor Yona Yahav said. Municipal officials said most suspects were not from Haifa but from Galilee villages, the southern Bedouin city of Rahat, the Beit Hanina neighborhood in northern Jerusalem, East Jerusalem and Bedouin communities in the Negev. They often arrived in luxury vehicles, some fitted with modified exhaust systems, and carried alcohol, knives and clubs. The latest enforcement operation brought together municipal inspectors and officers from the Haifa police station. In a statement, the municipality said the operations are intended to continue throughout the year “to strengthen personal security in the city.” Officials said enforcement is focusing on offenses including noise violations, littering, modified cars and motorcycles, drugs, alcohol, traffic violations and more. Police and inspectors are conducting vehicle searches, detaining drivers for questioning and issuing dozens of citations. Roadblocks have also been set up for searches. On Ben Gurion Boulevard on Saturday night, police detained a man carrying a knife and found drugs in his vehicle. At Haifa’s southern beach, officers seized an airsoft gun, clubs, two motorcycles, dozens of bottles of alcohol and poured out other confiscated liquor. “As promised, we are conducting continuous and intensive activity to ensure the safety of the city’s residents and visitors,” Yahav said. “We have no intention of compromising on this matter, and those who come here to undermine security will be dealt with harshly. Together with the police, we will continue to create a safe environment.” Haifa municipal director-general David Luria said the city is determined to preserve safety. “There is excellent cooperation with the police, and anyone who thinks they can come here and behave recklessly while endangering residents is mistaken,” he said. Haifa police commander Chief Superintendent Eyal Shahar said officers are committed to residents’ security. “These operations will continue all the time. They are bearing fruit, and we will create a reality where residents’ personal security is at the highest level,” he said. The Ben Gurion Boulevard operation was led by Ilan Hodeda, head of Haifa’s municipal inspection division, and Haifa police officer Aviv Hagigi. The beach operation was led by Rita Sassi, head of the municipality’s beaches division, and Chief Inspector Haim Nevo of Haifa police. Luria and Shahar were also present at the Ben Gurion Boulevard enforcement activity. Authorities said enforcement operations have been under way for several weeks after residents complained of a decline in their sense of safety due to rising crime and violence in city neighborhoods. Incidents included robberies, assaults, stabbings, reckless driving and driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol. Trouble spots have included Haifa’s beaches, Ben Gurion Boulevard, downtown, the Hadar neighborhood and the Carmel Center. The municipality and police said they are preparing to launch a municipal policing unit at the start of next year. In the meantime, targeted weekend enforcement will continue, including surprise roadblocks, vehicle searches and body checks of drivers and passengers.
