Swieqi police station opened at last

A long-heralded police station was inaugurated at Swieqi this afternoon, amid hopes by the residents of the locality that it could lead to a stronger police presence and a reduction in crime.

The police station was inaugurated by Home Affairs Minister Manuel Mallia in the presence of, among others, Deputy Police Commissioner Ray Zammit and Mayor Noel Muscat. It is located in the civic centre which was inaugurated in February last year but had not been completed.

Dr Mallia said the crime rate in Swieqi was double the average in Malta, with burglaries five times the nation average. The locality also suffers from disturbances by people returning from Paceville.

The minister said there would be increased foot patrols in Swieqi and elsewhere, and the Rapid Intervention Unit would give more importance to Swieqi.

He said the ministry was also discussing with the council how EU funds could be sourced for a CCTV system to further deter crime.

Dr Saviour Formosa, criminologist, said Swieqi suffered from crime by people who went to Paceville. Others parked in Swieqi and could observe the residents' patterns.

He also noted that the rate of domestic violence in Swieqi rose 12-fold over the past six years, although it was not higher than the national average. The increase could have been the case of better reporting, he said. He said the main crimes remained theft from cars, damage to cars and burglaries.