New €2 million police forensics unit inaugurated

The Police Corps must have all the necessary tools at its disposal to fight against all kinds of criminality, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi said.

Speaking during the official inauguration of the €2 million EU-funded upgrade police forensic unit at the Police Depot in Floriana.

"It is imperative for the Police to have all the necessary tools, and the latest technology to fight against every form of crime and today's inauguration is a step forward in making the country more secure," Gonzi said.

The new equipment at the unit allows the Police to share data with all other EU member states. This includes DNA and a new automated fingerprint identification system (AFIS).

The EU is also in the process of introducing a similar system in regards to missing persons and disaster relief data.

While reiterating that the current administration introduced a new collective agreement for the Police, which included new payment schemes, Gonzi said that the government is committed to introduce a union, which represents the Corps' interests.

"We will continue supporting the Police to ensure that the force is equipped to fight against new forms of crime that have emerged in recent years," Gonzi said.

Police Commissioner John Rizzo thanked all personnel in the forensic unit and inaugurated two sections of the new laboratory which were named after PC Joseph Hare and PS Saviour Muscat who lost their lives  while on duty aboard patrol boat C23 in 1984.