The Israel Police is expected to purchase public relations services from an external company exempt from a tender at a cost of 800,000 shekels per year. This is in addition to the 400,000 shekels that the police already pay for the services of the consulting and training company 'Tandem', which was also selected without a tender. This was revealed in Haaretz.
According to the report, Alsheich's preference for external companies illustrates his lack of appreciation for police spokespeople and the work of the brigade, which was established during the time of the previous Commissioner Yohanan Danino, and consists of about 90 people.
At the beginning of the month, it was reported that Merav Lapidot, the Finance Ministry spokesperson for the past year and a half, had been appointed to the position of police spokesperson.
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However, Police Commissioner Roni Alsheich prefers to entrust the police's public relations department to an external private entity that will also provide strategic media consulting services, according to which all police spokespeople will operate.
This is a contract period that will begin in February and last for a year.
The notice of exemption from the tender published by the police stated that for public relations purposes, the organization requires "special trust relationships." The exemption request further stated that the company would be selected through an internal competitive process.
In the reasons for the decision, the assistant to the commissioner, Deputy Commissioner Haim Haim Blumenfeld, wrote that as part of the AMON (Prevention Strategy and Management Focus) plan that was defined upon the new commissioner's assumption of office, Alsheich decided "to examine the police spokesperson system and adapt it to the modern media world and the changing needs of the police.".
Blumenfeld added that the identity of the person or public relations company that will be chosen will be determined only after a meeting with the Commissioner, and that the candidates for the position of police public relations manager are Yuval Peleg, Tal Goldfinger, Spot Communications and Boaz Lieberman.
""There is a need for unique knowledge and skills," Blumenfeld wrote, adding, "mainly in the area of formulating the image strategy and managing crises, which are not part of the specialization of the police officers in the existing police spokesperson system.".
