'Public concerned over startling crime rates' – PN

The Nationalist Party said that the Maltese public is concerned and fearful over the worrying cases of crime over the past weeks.

“In the past few days alone there have been various reported cases of theft as well as reports of a violent attack in Paceville,” the PN statement said, referring to a knife attack in St George’s Street, Paceville, early on Sunday morning (4am) that left an 18-year-old Dutchman critically injured and another five men hospitalised.

“At that particular moment, there weren’t enough police officers in Paceville,” the statement adds stressing that despite the Police force’s best intentions, the government was not providing the force with the necessary resources to carry out its job as required.

PN added that incidents such as this, create fear among the genral public and among young people who frequent these areas in particular, as well as their parents, who cannot rest assured about the safety of their children.

“While the PN acknowledges the Police’s work and thanks them for their services in solving issues like a recent spat of burglaries in the Sliema area, we also reiterate our appeal to the government to take the necessary steps to increase the number of police officers on patrol in the localities of SLiema, San Gwann, St. Paul’s Bay, St Julian’s, Gzira and Paceville.