The introduction of a community policing program in Sliema is set to be introduced by next year a spokesperson for the Home Affairs Ministry has told Times of Malta. 

This comes after the Sliema local council announced that from Monday, police officers will be patrolling the promenade from Exiles to the Strand between 5 am and midnight, following a spate of violent incidents reported in the area. 

“Community policing in Sliema is envisaged to be in place by next year although one must say that the police have been increasing their presence in localities like Sliema due to the summer season and the greater influx of people descending in such localities,” a spokesperson for the Ministry said in reply to questions sent by Times of Malta. 

“The police are committed to ensure safe and secure communities around all of Malta and Gozo and is investing heavily to achieve that goal.” 

Calls for increased police presence came to the fore on Thursday, when 62-year-old Louis Spiteri was attacked while out for a jog early in the morning of the promenade. 

Police investigations later indicated that the attack was allegedly commissioned by the victim’s daughter’s ex-husband and three men have been arraigned in connection with the incident. 

Last week, Sliema mayor John Pillow was also injured after being attacked by a man who hurled a drink can at his face. The altercation arose after Pillow admonished a woman for urinating in public. 

While a spokesperson for the Malta Police Force did not comment on the introduction of community policing in Sliema, he said that police presence in the locality would be increasing for the peace of mind of residents and visitors alike.

“Given the Malta Police’s commitment to ensuring a safe country, in Sliema and elsewhere and for the peace of mind of both the residents and the persons visiting the locality, the police shall be embarking on a community assurance initiative by increasing police presence along the Sliema Promenade,” he said. 

“Apart from the Sliema District Police, an extra deployment of police officers from different sections including, but not limited to Community Police, will be covering the area.”

Following the murder of 29-year-old Paulina Dembska, which occurred early in the morning in Independence Gardens in Sliema, the local council had called on authorities to expedite the introduction of community police to the locality. 

“Sliema is one of the largest localities on the island and is extremely diversified,” former Sliema mayor Graziella Attard Previ has said at the time. 

“The town is both residential and commercial, a home for foreigners and locals, young and old. We face a lot of challenges and we want to ensure all residents feel safe.”

Community policing was last extended to another seven localities in February, with the ministry saying that currently, the scheme covers some 63 per cent of the country. 

Last year, police commissioner Angelo Gafa said that the plan is to have community policing in all of Malta and Gozo by 2023.