Marsascala community gets mobile Police unit

Police mobile unit set up in Marsascala. Video Ray Attard

A mobile Police unit was inaugurated by Home Affairs Minister Manuel Mallia in Masrsascala, providing residents with a new police station. The unit is equipped with a computerised system and an inner room to serve as a meeting room between police officers and persons lodging their report.

The setting up of the mobile unit in Triq Qaliet, on Marsascala's seafront, was deemed as the perfect immediate solution considering the present state of the locality's police station and its inaccessibility to elderly and persons with mobility needs.

To increase community policing, the Police force will be introducing electric motorbikes in all localities while a mobile police home - a van - will be placed at the heart of Paceville.

"Every citizen must enjoy the right to live in a secure place and our goal is to ensure this by focusing on community policing," Mallia said.

According to Acting Police Commissioner Ray Zammit, the old police station was not meeting the needs of the community. Marsascala, he added, was not only a locality which was busy during tthe summer months but also attracted people during the winter months due to the number of commercial establishments and restaurants in the area.

Mallia said the area has already seen a decrease in crimes - due to increased police presence - but an increase in violence against public officials was also registered.

This arises from a research carried out by researcher Saviour Formosa, a consultant to the Home Affairs Ministry.

Since 2000, the most criminal acts perpetuated in the locality were damages, domestic violence and bodily harms. Between 2011 and 2013, these criminal acts spiraled by a third.

But during January and June of this year, there were cases of domestic violence and thefts reported although an increase of violence against police officers was noted.

The Home Affairs Minister also categorically denied that the Rapid Intervention Unit will be removed and replaced by the SAG.

Police inquiries still being ‘evaluated’

The conclusions of two police inquiries, one over the wrongful prosecution of 27-year-old Darryl Luke Borg and another on former commissioner Peter Paul Zammit will only be published once they are evaluated.

Speaking during the inauguration of a mobile police station in Marsascala, Mallia said that the two reports were currently being evaluated by the ministry and once the process is over the findings will be published. 

The first inquiry, compiled by judge emeritus Franco Depasquale, was delivered to the home affairs minister Manuel Mallia and former Commissioner of Police Peter Paul Zammit in August 2013.

The inquiry had led to criticism by the Nationalist Party, calling for the resignation of the police commissioner as well as that of Mallia's chief of staff, Silvio Scerri, for having allegedly communicated with a former criminal convict - Charles Attard 'iz-Zambi' - in a bid to bring Borg to testify before the board.

The second inquiry was concluded in July following Zammit’s decision to drop charges against a man who allegedly assaulted four officers in Zabbar.