The Education Administration and the Youth and Young People's Division held a municipal meeting to promote protection and prevent violence in the city, with the participation of the administrators of the secondary schools, the commander of the Modi'in Police and the municipal parent leadership.
Modi'in Maccabim Re'ut Municipality held a professional meeting last week on the topic of promoting a safe urban climate and preventing violence in the urban area, with the participation of the commander of the Modi'in Maccabim Re'ut Police Station, Lt. Col. Oren Tibi, the head of the Education Administration, Batya Shuchen-Orbuch, the head of the Security Administration, Shmulik Cohen, the chairman of the municipal parent leadership, Shani Maor Harel, the principals of the secondary schools, the deputy director of the Youth and Young People's Division, Meital Ashur, and other principals.
The meeting was held as part of an ongoing municipal process to strengthen the sense of protection among young adults, reduce risk behaviors, prevent violence and strengthen cooperation between the municipality, the education system, the police, parent and community leadership.
During the meeting, municipal programs operating in the city in the youth sector were presented, including information, prevention, enforcement, protected guide activities, parent patrols, cooperation with the police, and plans for the summer vacation. Alongside this, an open conversation was held between the station commander and school principals, in which needs, challenges, and feedback from the field were raised.
The commander of the Modi'in station, Lt. Col. Oren Tibi, emphasized at the meeting the importance of cooperation between all parties: the police, the local authority, the municipal police, the education system, and parents. In his remarks, he noted that most of the city's youth are normative youth, and that the goal is to deal decisively with exceptional cases, while maintaining the sense of security of the children, parents, and educational staff.
The station commander also presented the importance of integrated handling of incidents: on the one hand, immediate enforcement response in exceptional cases, and on the other, therapeutic and educational continuity that includes schools, welfare and family. In this framework, the importance of rapid information transfer between the police and the Education Administration was emphasized, so that schools can prepare, support youth and provide an appropriate response.
The meeting also presented the activities of the Community Security Department, which works to reduce risk behaviors among children and youth, with an emphasis on preventing violence, alcohol use and bullying in school and public spaces.
The protected youth guides working in schools informally, create personal contact with students, serve as a listening ear and a trusted adult to whom they can turn, and assist educational teams in identifying risk situations. As part of the activity, meetings are also held with students who need guidance, reinforcement groups and prevention programs in elementary schools.
One of the main programs presented is “Guide and Police Officer”, in which a protected youth guide and a community police officer enter classrooms twice a year: once around the topic of cyberbullying, and another time before the summer holidays. The meetings combine familiarity with the language of the law, case stories from the field, and eye-level discussions with the students. In various cases, students turn to the school for help after the meetings, which is indicative of the trust that has been created.
As part of the activity, students receive age-appropriate content on the subject of protection, personal responsibility, violence prevention, and dealing with risky situations. In addition, preventive activities are also held in elementary schools, based on the concept that education for responsibility, boundaries, and personal safety should begin at a young age.
The chairwoman of the municipal parents' leadership, Shani Maor Harel, presented the activities of the parents' leadership in the field of protection and safety at the meeting. Among other things, initiatives were presented to strengthen direct communication with parents, establish protection teams in schools in collaboration with educational teams, parents, and students, promote joint roundtables, and produce informational videos in collaboration with influencers, with the aim of conveying clear messages about correct behavior and the consequences of violence.
The "Right Choice" initiative, developed in collaboration with lawyers from parents, with the aim of explaining to children and teenagers the legal consequences of their actions. Led by the parents, they emphasized that alongside municipal and school activities, it is of great importance to strengthen parental authority and to understand that education in values, boundaries and responsibility begins at home.
In the community space, the city also operates a parent patrol, accompanied by a designated coordinator, as part of the effort to increase parental and community presence in youth activity centers. Alongside this, area mapping, summer activities and designated shelters are held in places and times when the risk of unwanted behaviors increases.
The municipality noted this week that the meeting is part of an ongoing work process, the aim of which is to connect all the parties working with the city's youth, create a common language and strengthen a safe, respectful and responsible urban climate.
