The new community police teams have carried out more than nine thousand hours of foot patrol and four thousand kilometers of bicycle patrols since they began operating in twelve towns and villages last October. The results were announced during a press conference with the theme ‘Government for the People’, in Mellieħa.
Commenting on these results, Minister of the Interior, National Security and Law Enforcement Byron Camilleri stressed that this shows that this project has changed the mentality in the Police Force. In fact, the link between the community and the Police Force is being strengthened. With the community policing project, the Police Force is now a point of reference. “The aim is for the citizen to feel safe, heard and served. This is a government that will make all the necessary investment in the police, “said the minister while talking about the vision of police on the streets rather than behind the desk of a police station.
Minister Camilleri also announced that in the next few weeks community policing will be extended to nine new localities including St. Julian’s, Birgu, Cospicua, Senglea, Kalkara, Hamrun, Santa Venera, Marsa and Tarxien. He explained that this service is expected to be extended throughout Malta and Gozo in the coming years with more localities joining by the end of this year.
Police Commissioner Angelo Gafà spoke about how the success of the police is the success of the community. He explained that the Police Force wants to involve the public in its work and therefore community policing is showing how this is another step to achieve this goal. Mr Gafà explained that community policing will offer a more personalized service where the police will be closer to the citizens.
