The Malta Police Association (MPA) today asked if the 110 members of the Rapid Intervention Unit who were not part of the Swat team were children of a lesser god.

In a statement it said this was because while the Swat Team members were given an additional pair of trousers, the other 110 had to call in for work with torn trousers because they were only given one pair in the past two years. Many ended up buying trousers at their own expense.

The MPA also said that there were many offices in several police stations which were not yet equipped with air conditioning.

Moreover, officers on fixed point duties spent a lot of time in the sun without any shelter. It called for modern sentry boxes equipped with air conditioning as there was next to the residences of the Prime Minister’s and the British High Commissioner.

It pointed out that the third district, which comprised of Paola, Fgura, Santa Lucija, parts of Marsa and Tarxien was only equipped with one car, making it extremely difficult for the police to keep up with their work and carry out the necessary investigations. This was also detrimental to the public.

It noted that 70 per cent of people who took part in a survey conducted by the Times of Malta said they did not have confidence in the police.

The first thing that had to be done to rectify the situation, the MPA said, was to see to these basic shortcomings.