Hoteliers want ‘more than’ increased police presence in Paceville

The Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association (MHRA) condemned the spate of violent incidents recently witnessed in Paceville, saying that Paceville required much more than increased police presence.

“The writing has been on the wall for quite a while, which foretold the present sorry state of affairs in Malta,” MHRA president George Micallef said.

Micallef said the MHRA wants a government agency that will represent the interests of districts like Paceville, to deal with the issues affecting the area. “Otherwise it becomes just another talk shop, and nothing will take place. This is a hugely important matter which deserves all-round and apolitical support.”

In his missive, Micallef called for regulated pole-dancing clubs which he said ran the risk of turning Paceville into a red-light district; called for the removal of shisha-pipe smoking outside bars which he said encroached on public kerbsides; the regulation of bounders; and that the Slingshot amusement ride at St George’s beach was misplaced in the highly urbanised area. ”It constitutes a public nuisance as a result of the consistent screaming by those making use of this contraption,” Micallef said.

Micallef said the lack of action by government over the years had led to a pressure group formed by citizens, and said the MHRA welcomed the initiative.

But he said the lack of police presence was only one issue affecting this area.

Micallef described Paceville as a “Mecca for undisciplined youths bent on creating disorder”, where uncontrolled behaviour often fuelled by excessive alcohol consumption as well as drug consumption, had turned the area into a shambles.

“This situation is to the detriment of the host community, tourists and investors alike,” Micallef said.

He also warned that Malta will no longer be able to be promoted amongst prospective tourists as an absolutely safe place, free from muggings and similar crimes.

“We do need an increased police presence in the area, and police also need to be better prepared to be able to handle the challenges that arise in the area. However, we should also consider different ways of ‘policing’ the area as adopted in entertainment districts overseas, whilst taking care not to overburden the area with police presence and risk shifting the problems that exist in Paceville to other areas that are less regulated,” Micallef said.

Micallef also called for harsher penalties. “It would be futile and frustrating for the police to intervene and take action and then see perpetrators being let off lightly because penalties contemplated at law do not permit otherwise.”

According to the MHRA, there are number regulations which need to be revised, specifically the sale of alcohol from confectioneries selling alcohol which are not licensed bars. “The ease of access to alcohol to all, including minors, fuelled disorderliness and it became a common sight to see youths getting drunk during the night, shouting, puking, urinating and swearing in the streets of Paceville, shunning the more mature crowd,” Micallef said.

In March of this year government published a revised legal notice banning the sale of alcohol after 9pm from confectioneries, but this was suspended after pressure from the GRTU.

The MHRA also said Paceville clubs breach noise pollution regulations and that public disturbance remains “a very subjective matter” largely left to the discretion of the police officers on duty.

“A complete overhaul of the existing regulations governing noise emission and the playing of music is required. We do not need to re-invent the wheel here, as we are not alone in this world with an entertainment district, and we can easily emulate the methods of successful governance of similar Mediterranean destinations, of which there are plenty around,” Micallef said.

The MHRA also want better regulation of pole-dancer clubs, but qualified its statement saying that they did not want to run them out of business. “If more clubs of this sort continue to open, the entire area runs the risk of being turned into a ‘red light district’, which is certainly not desirable,” Micallef said.