On Sunday, September 21, a celebratory ceremony was held for the official launch of the "City without Violence" program in Ma'aleh Adumim, in the presence of the Minister of Public Security, Avi Dicter.

The "City without Violence" program, lead by the Ministry of Public Security in partnership with the IFCJ and other government offices, is designed to create a change in the social climate of the city and to establish new non-violent behavioral norms. Ma'aleh Adumim is one of the twelve member cities of the CWV program, and has already successfully implemented the program headed by the Deputy Mayor and local program coordinator.

50% decrease in violent occurrences
During the ceremony, the local police presented the numbers and current state in the city. The numbers showed a drastic decrease of approximately 50% in violent occurrences in the city, and a decrease of 53% in juvenile vandalism in the city parks.

Minister Dicter commended the excellent work done in the city leading towards the significant cut in violence, as well as the leadership expressed by the Mayor of Ma'aleh Adumim, Benny Kashriel, who dove into program the program with a whole heart and a true vision of success.

Mayor Kashriel said that the large city is continuously growing and blossoming and is always absorbing new families and immigrants, who immediately become an integral part of the community, creating a strong and contributing community in the city.
Prior to the ceremony, Minister Dicter, along with other guests toured the neighborhoods of the city and visited the community policing center, the new city command center, the local police station, the city park, and the interdisciplinary center for violence prevention.

The CWV program is a system-wide program which provides solutions for minimizing the violence and crime in the city, and operates in a number of fields:

Law Enforcement

• Community Police Center
• Volunteer policing with adult and teenagers patrolling the city preventing crime and vandalism
• In-school instruction classes about crime prevention and respecting the law
• Joint police and municipal supervisor patrols
• Closed circuit cameras in central locations and parks
• Law enforcement forum convenes monthly to come up with new enforcement activities
• Youth involvement in national guard

Welfare
The interdisciplinary center for violence prevention and treatment was established, which unites all the local services treating violence offenders and victims. The center hosts activities such as:

• Plays for the general public about domestic violence, sexual harassment and violence against the elderly.
• Professional work shops
• Parental groups on non-violent communication
• School workshops
• Women meetings
• One on one and group treatment for victims of violence

Formal Education:

• The "Ilanot" program for kindergartens was implemented – locating and identifying dangerous behavior in kindergartens, and consulting with the parents and teachers about reinstating their authority.
• Local schools are assigned with instructors who guide the school staff in order to enhance the sense of safety in the school while reinstating the authority to teachers and parents.

Informal Education:

• The "Late Night Birds" program was implemented in popular youth areas
• Sporting grounds and courts remain open and lit during late hours
• Involving youth in sport activities