"They put sticks in our wheels": A month after the "Maariv" exposé - police spokespersons are still blocked from investigation files

A month after the "Maariv" exposé regarding the directive of the Head of the Investigations and Intelligence Division (Aman) in the police, Nitzav Boaz Balet, to block the access of police spokespersons to investigation files as part of their central work tools, and despite an announcement by the police spokesperson, Nitzav-Mishne Aryeh Doron, according to which the authorization would be restored to the spokespersons within days at the end of a review, the blockage remains in place and the police spokespersons remain frustrated.

"It is simply impossible to work, it is a disgrace and a shame. They put sticks in our wheels and turned us all into leakers. Every spokesperson can receive materials from investigation officers and investigators, so what is the logic in blocking access to files? This tool significantly shortens work processes, saves the investigators from being bothered and harassed, and allows for the accessibility and availability of the spokespersons to the media at all hours of the day, and especially during the occurrence of serious events. They said it would return and are only conducting a review, but in practice, a month has already passed and we are devoid of the ability to work, which is inconceivable. On one hand, they criticize our performance, and on the other, they do not allow us to work. The Police Commissioner must intervene and issue an order that will return this basic work tool to us. If there is a spokesperson in the system suspected of leaking, let them deal with him personally and not turn everyone into liars or leakers," sources in the police spokesperson's division tell "Maariv".

We will recall that on July 21, "Maariv" exposed the directive of the Head of the Investigations and Intelligence Division in the police, a publication that drew many reactions and caused a storm in the police.

In that same report, it was published that according to the sources, most of the spokespersons in the spokesperson's division came from previous roles in the investigations division or from the police's legal counsel. According to them, they know how to perform the required separation and avoid leaking classified investigation materials. Despite this, the Head of the Investigations and Intelligence Division chose to neutralize their access to the police system - a move that, from the spokespersons' perspective, expresses complete distrust in them.

"This is a move that makes it difficult to engage with the media, who request expansions to spokesperson announcements or comments on certain issues, and essentially sabotages the work of the spokesperson's division," a senior police source told "Maariv".

According to him, "Beyond that, there is a statement here that he does not trust the spokespersons and does not believe in their integrity, and that is much more serious. If the Head of the Investigations and Intelligence Division has a suspicion that a certain material was leaked, what is easier than checking it? You enter the material even into a Google system or ChatGPT, and through it, you can locate which material was leaked and from which file. After that, you enter the system and check who accessed that file."

The source added: "If you caught a spokesperson who leaked, block his access to the system. What is this collective punishment? If there is an investigator who went astray or leaks, do they block the system for all investigators? This is an extreme move that does not respect the spokespersons and also not the organization."