‘See the person through their strengths’: Israel Police opens roles for special needs youth

The new volunteers will initially work with the police’s Animal Handling Division alongside canine and mounted units.

By Pesach Benson, TPS

The “Special in Uniform” program, which has integrated young people with disabilities into the Israel Defense Forces for more than a decade, has expanded to the Israel Police for the first time.

Eleven teenagers and young adults from the Meitarim school in Holon received police certificates and donned uniforms at a ceremony Tuesday, marking the launch of a new partnership between the Israel Police’s Communities and Volunteers Division and the Yad LaYeled HaMeyuchad (Lend a Hand to the Special Child) association.

Special in Uniform already incorporates young people with physical and developmental disabilities, including Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, and autism, into the Israel military.

Nearly 1,000 Special in Uniform participants are currently serving at 45 Israel Defense Forces bases across all branches of the military. The program includes Arab, Druze, and Bedouin participants.

“This week, we reached an exciting milestone by integrating 11 young adults with special needs into meaningful roles within the Israel Police, including its canine and mounted police units,” said Lt. Col. (Res.) Tiran Attia, executive director of Special in Uniform.

“This new initiative extends our mission beyond the IDF and creates additional opportunities for young people with disabilities to serve, contribute, develop independence, and experience a true sense of belonging,” Attia said.

The new volunteers will initially work with the police’s Animal Handling Division alongside canine and mounted units. Their duties will be adapted to their individual abilities.

Organizers said the work with animals was selected to provide an environment in which participants can contribute while developing confidence, independence, and a sense of belonging.

Special in Uniform’s expansion to the Israel Police creates a new avenue for participants to take on public-service roles outside the military.

Chief Superintendent Shay Hachimi, head of the Israel Police Volunteers Department, said the initiative reflected an approach focused on participants’ abilities.

“The connection with the ‘Special in Uniform’ program is much more than the opening of another volunteer track,” Hachimi said.

“It expresses a philosophy according to which we choose to see the person through their strengths, through their abilities, and through the contribution they can bring.”

The Israel Police said it intends to expand the program to additional units. Participants could eventually undergo the standard selection process for police recruitment, potentially opening a path to full-time employment with the force.