UN Palestine Commission – Special police force for Jerusalem – Letter from United Kingdom

7 April 1948

UNITED NATIONS PALESTINE COMMISSION

Communication Received from United Kingdom

Delegation Concerning Cost of Maintaining

 Special Police Force for Jerusalem

The following communications concerning the most of maintaining a special police force for Jerusalem, has been received from Mr. Fletcher-Cooke of the United Nations Delegation.

UNITED KINGDOM DELEGATION TO THE UNITED NATIONS

Empire State Building

New York 1, N.Y.

My dear Bunche,

May I refer you to my letter of the 1st April on the subject of a Police Force for Jerusalem.

2. You will recall that in sub-paragraph (v) of paragraph 2 of his official letter of the 30th January, to the Chairman of the Commission, Sir Alexander Cadogan gave certain information as to the cost of a Security Force of one thousand non-Jewish, non-Arab personnel. It was stated that a force of this size would coat more than LP40,000 per mensem, excluding the cost of accommodation, arms and ammunition, and the capital cost of transport. It was also stated that a mixed municipal force of 300 Arabs and 300 Jews would cost about LP12,000 per mensem.

3. On or about the 20 March, I received a verbal enquiry from another of your staff who was engaged on certain work connected with the preparation of the Jerusalem Statute as to what other costs would be involved in maintaining a special Jerusalem City Police Force of one thousand non-Palestinians. This information has now reached me is as follows:-

(1) On the assumption that accommodation, arms, ammunition and transport will be available from the assets of the Palestine Police Force for immediate use by the new Jerusalem Force if and when it is formed, the annual cost of maintaining this “capital” equipment (in addition to the sum of LP40,000 per mensem referred to above) would be

(2) This would give a total figure for the maintenance of one thousand non-Palestinians of Lp45,000 per mensem or LP540,000 per annum.

4. A note explaining how this figure of LP.54,000 per alma is arrived at is enclosed.

Yours sincerely

(signed) JOHN FLETCHER-COOKE

(J. Fletcher-Cooke)

Dr. Ralph J. Bunche

Principal Secretary to the United Nations

Palestine Commission, United Nations, Lake Success.

NOTE.

ACCOMMODATION.

The present strength of the British Police in Jerusalem is approximately 1,000 and, therefore, it is suggested that the accommodation at present occupied by British Police personnel would form a convenient basis for calculating the requirements in respect of 1,000 non-Palestinian Police, with costs as in the last financial year.

The Director of Public Works advised increasing the estimate to LP 5,000 to allow for contingencies.

ARMS & AMMUNITION

Assuming that the scale of arms for the Net Force will be similar to that of the Palestine Police Force, and that the allowance of ammunition for training purposes will also be similar to that of the Palestine Police Force, then the approximate annual cost of maintaining armaments will be as follows:-

2. The present allowance of ammunition for training is much greater than that of the British Army.