Police SAG unit ‘stripped’ to the core

Manned by a superintendent and two inspectors, the SAG unit - which is the police force rapid response team, which also provides VIP protection - is a resource which is struggling to cope with a cut in its finances.

Senior sources have told MaltaToday that the officers have not been receiving any firearms training given the cutbacks on ammunition and trainers.

But the reduction in the number of officers that compose the SAG is worrying security experts who say that should an emergency situation arise - similar to the one faced in Britain two weeks ago  – there is no resource to counter it.

The only resource available for such an instance at this time would be the Armed Forces ‘C’ Company which is regularly trained to counter riots or hostile crowds, but deploying the army is not seen as opportune.

A case in point was last week’s riot at the Safi migrant detention camp where only six SAG officers could be dispatched. Among these were two inspectors, a Sergeant, an orderly and two drivers, leaving the army no alternative but to use the army to quell the disturbances.

It also emerged that during the Safi riots, the army used a number of rubber batons.

Officers within the SAG are frustrated about the fact that their limited resources are now leaving them in a situation where there is no time for rest, given their daily deployment to fixed-point guarding of embassies around the island, and daily patrolling of Paceville to ensure law and order following a spate of incidents.

But contrary to the aims of the SAG, the officers are ordered on the beat in twos, with a high risk of being outnumbered in a large fight.

MaltaToday is also informed that officers from the police security branch have also been deployed in plain clothes to Paceville in response to the outcry by parents on gangs and fights.