Police Officer's Gesture Earns Praise: A Second Chance Instead of Strict Punishment

A Facebook post by Officer Chanan Friedman, who serves at the national headquarters, has received thousands of likes and hundreds of comments since yesterday, making him ‘the most popular officer on Facebook’.

"Today, while driving, I noticed a driver talking on his phone. I instructed him to pull over. He did so without hesitation, was honest with me, apologized, and understood the seriousness of his actions. On top of talking on the phone, his car had been without a roadworthy test (known as a 'test') for two months, with a child seat inside. So what could be done?" - This is how Friedman opened his post.

"I made a gentleman's agreement with the driver," Friedman continued. "You go from here to do a test, and I believe in you and will spare you an expensive fine and unnecessary grief, as long as the car has a test and everyone can drive safely."

"He did not believe me at first. I gave him my mobile number so he would have the decency to show me he did it, and this is what he sent me about an hour later," the officer presented the WhatsApp conversation between him and the driver, concluding: "Moral of the story - use judgment; punishment does not always achieve results. Sometimes there's a better way."

The attached screenshot depicted the brief exchange about an hour after the driver was stopped. "Hello, Officer. You stopped me recently and asked me to send you proof of doing the test, and I'm a man of my word," wrote the driver, attaching a photo of the updated test. Friedman replied: "Great, my brother. You saved 1,000 NIS on a fine by doing the test. As far as I'm concerned, you're forgiven! Take care of yourself."

The post, as mentioned, garnered thousands of likes and hundreds of mostly positive comments. However, many users argued that the officer was wrong. "A person talking on the phone while driving endangers lives and is a potential killer. He should not have been let go without punishment," wrote one, while another added: "Foolish, in my opinion. If he talks on the phone tomorrow and causes an accident, they'll say the writing was on the wall. In my view, phone use in vehicles should never be allowed."