I am honoured to be here today in celebration of the two hundred and eleventh (211th) anniversary of the establishment of the Malta Police Force.
Article 4 of Title One (1) of the Police Act, Chapter one hundred sixty-four (164) of the Laws of Malta lists seven paragraphs delineating the main objectives of the Police Force.
Paragraph (a) gives top priority to the preservation of Law and Order, the prevention of offences, promotion and enforcement of the observance of the Law;
Very importantly, it also states that the force is the guarantor of the rights of all persons in Malta – this is a very wide-ranging onus indeed, and in a few words, it encompasses the immense expanse of all rights: natural, legal and/or of philosophical origin – also lays down the duty of the force to be vigilantly pre-emptive of breaches.
Of particular significance is paragraph (c), which binds the force to be impartial, non-discriminatory, in words which echo Sub-Article Three (3) of Article Forty-Five (45) of the Constitution of Malta.
One cannot stress enough that the police, not only have to be impartial and non-discriminatory in the exercise of their duties, but most importantly, they must be seen to be so by the public – it is just not on and detrimental to the reciprocal trust that should underline the relationship between the force and the public, if the Force is perceived to be strong with the weak and weak with the strong This would indeed be a pity considering the very high rate of success by the police in many areas.
Other paragraphs forming part of the same Article Four (4), paragraphs (b) to (f), serve to expand this concept of rights, whilst paragraph (g), of Article Four (4) of the Police Act, lays down that the force has to discharge its duties honestly and effectively.
The present-day crime scene is vastly different from that prevailing decades ago. The incidence of conventional crimes has somewhat decreased. This is not a perception; it results from statistical data, but this decrease has been overtaken by the emergence of new types of crimes and offences.
Whilst violent crimes, homicide, grievous bodily harm, and theft from residential units have seen a decline, financial and economic crimes have increased. With the advent of technology, fraud has taken on new attire with online scams, fraudulent investment schemes, and financial swindles.
The perpetrators of crime have themselves undergone change. Gone is the traditional image of uncouth, uneducated, and socially deprived individuals, predominantly victims of society’s deficiencies.
With the advent of cybercrime and online financial scams, in all probability, one is dealing with individuals of high IQs and even academic and higher educational backgrounds.
All this has necessitated new approaches, more and more training for the women and men entrusted with society’s wellbeing and protection, new investments in personnel and equipment. It has been heartening to hear the Honourable Minister describing the way in which the Government is tackling the duty entrusted to it by Article Five (5), Sub-Paragraph One (1) of the Police Act, which states that the Government shall be responsible for the strategic direction of the Force.
The effective and honest performance of the duties assigned to the Force as laid down by Article Four (4), Paragraph (g) of the Police Act quoted above, signalled the need of a Transformation Strategy for the police force, in order to fulfil its functions in the present scenario.
This has resulted in investment in various sectors. The creation of a cybercrime unit, which has continued to constantly expand in order to keep abreast of new technology, as well as a specialised unit, the largest of the force, manned by a hundred specifically trained officers.
As one of its prime objectives, the transformation strategy sought to bring about greater synergy between the police force and the community.
This has become a key operational tool, which is very clearly manifested in the ways which are employed when dealing with drug-related offences.
There has been a noticeable shift which has taken on board the social rehabilitation and integration of offenders into the community, necessitating interaction with NGO’s dedicated to providing programmes of reform and recovery, and entailing focused cooperation right up to the judicial process.
The updating of patrol vehicles and the strengthening of the Road and Urban fleet have contributed to a stronger feeling of security on the roads and in our localities, especially those localities where the police are not present in a station open all around the clock.
Community policing has been a very welcome service in these localities.
The evolution of our society has resulted in increased awareness of the social aspects of crime hitherto considered as pertaining to the private domain, notably domestic violence crimes.
This greater awareness has brought about a proliferation of domestic violence cases since victims and also neighbours feel empowered enough to speak out.
I have only referred to a few key areas here.
I sincerely feel that I have to give credit to the uprightness, honesty, efficiency and professionalism, which is palpable, and can be witnessed, especially in those circumstances, which call for quick action and intervention by our girls and boys in blue.
I augur that the trust of the public in the police force, generated by the dedication and sense of service shown by the police force in its forward-looking vision, shall continue to provide an environment where our citizens feel that they and theirs are secure and protected.