Policing and the Rule of Law

Every day, the Malta Police Force carries out a remarkable amount of work which, sadly, either goes unnoticed or unacknowledged. The Force, which is one of the oldest police forces in Europe, will soon be marking its 200th anniversary.

Throughout these years, it faced numerous challenges – some of them tough, and demanding. Nevertheless, during the critical periods of our history, it always stood ready to provide a multitude of services to the community. The police force plays a crucial role in preventing and minimising crime, thus fostering community safety. Despite the fact that our police services were not always utilised wisely in the past, we can confidently declare that those dark days are now over.

Today the Force is more organised than ever before. Over these years it has beefed up its human resource capacity at police stations and district headquarters. The number of vehicle and foot patrols that are carried out round the clock in our streets and, more particularly, in crime hotspots has increased. Today a stronger police presence in our localities is not only visible, but is also making a positive difference in crime prevention.

The Police Force is now better equipped, with revolutionary technology that is modernising the law enforcement world and streamlining the way police officers prevent crime and detect and apprehend criminals. The level of police training provided to officers either in Malta or in Gozo, depending on where they are based, has been substantially enhanced. Each year, courses of a 12-month duration are being conducted at the Police Academy for new recruits, while a number of officers regularly attend training courses and meetings in various EU countries.

In developing a modern vision for crime prevention, the police work closely with their international agencies. Criminals are becoming more sophisticated nowadays, moving away from the traditional methods of crime. In addition to being better organised, crime groups operate from different countries and use modern technologies to support and carry out their misdeeds effectively.

There is clear evidence that this new approach to crime is being used in drug trafficking activities which are taking root around the world, thus generating substantial financial gain for persons forming part of criminal organisations. Therefore, in order to effectively combat the flow of illegal drugs into our country, anti-drug measures need to be constantly beefed up. The Police Drug Squad have long been pursuing this strategy. As a result, their anti-drug investigations and operations continue to yield positive results which are reflected in the number of drug-related prosecutions of persons who make headlines in the news every week.

Combating the drug trade is only one aspect of the police officer’s multifaceted role. Unfortunately, though, highly publicised mistakes and wrongdoings of a few rogue policemen often tarnish the honesty and integrity of the vast majority of officers. However, I feel I should point out that the realities are completely different and dramatically opposed to the negative perception of the Force that is sometimes maintained by certain sections of the public.

Over the last few years the country’s overall crime rate has been either reduced or better managed. Despite the fact that the statistics fare well in comparison to other countries, there shall nevertheless be an increase in focus on a growing number of specific categories of crimes, such as mobile phone theft, pickpocketing, and theft in tourist areas. Crime prevention strategies always need to be reshaped in order to combat the latest crime techniques and trends and this is what the Force has persistently done.

In this line, strong cooperation between the public and the police is a crucial element in successful policing. Frequently, criminals are apprehended precisely as a result of reports of witnesses to crime. Often, even a shred of information could lead to solving a case and apprehending the perpetrator. In addition to this collaboration, the Police Force requires the support of the local councils who have inherited a number of services that were formerly provided at police stations. These are two areas of collaboration that clearly need to be further strengthened.

Unfortunately, last year there was a spate of violent and unprovoked incidents in which police officers were physically attacked and sustained injuries in the process. In view of this, we submitted before Parliament a number of legislative provisions through Bill No. 97, which was published in the Malta Government Gazette on 29 November 2011, proposing stiffer fines for violence against police officers and prohibiting probation orders or suspended sentences in such instances. This will send a strong message that the State will not compromise on such heinous acts.

I trust that in the coming months, through these stronger law enforcement measures and enhanced levels of collaboration with local councils, the State will achieve even greater success in its work to combat crime for the benefit of our citizens.