Editorial: When bad behaviour goes unchecked

There are many points that beggar belief about the story of a man caught defecating and urinating on someone’s doorstep in broad daylight but the one that stands out is that the police were ‘too busy’.

The importance of deterrents and enforcement have often been raised in editorials and, yet, even while we clamour for one weight and one measure, the bottom line is whether there are enough people to enforce the laws we already have.

The population has grown to almost 600,000 and the number of tourists has reached four million a year. We boast about economic growth but then we often hear about an overstretched police force.

This particular man was seen causing trouble elsewhere and was accosted a few times. He could easily have been arrested. 

But the residents of Birżebbuġa were told the police were busy in court and the community police were tied up at an event with no means of transport.

And this comes just before the start of the summer season where we are already seeing videos circulating online detailing bad behaviour. And the culprits are not always tourists.

Sadly, it was clear from the electoral campaign that enforcement was not on any politician’s radar.

And this, despite the fact that the number of law-enforcement officers is not keeping pace with the population growth, let alone tourism.

While the introduction of night-time patrols in Swieqi are being praised for their prompt reaction and intervention, residents in other areas suffer night after night.

The police force is trying, it really is, but it needs more than a website telling people what to do in the case of anti-social behaviour.

We are not advocating for a police state, but merely calling on the government to acknowledge that big numbers of people and sprawling open-air businesses need to be kept in check.

Enforcement must also carry a meaningful deterrent.

Whether on-the-spot fines will achieve that remains to be seen, but we have to start somewhere.

Would it really be so unreasonable to expect bars and bottle shops to stop serving alcohol to people who are already visibly intoxicated?

Why do dozens of ‘well-connected’ establishments, from Valletta to Sliema, continue to act above the law, with music blaring into the early hours?

Why do illegal developments, unauthorised extensions and planning infringements remain standing for years despite enforcement notices and repeated complaints?

And why are we once again heading into summer resigned to the fact that fireworks enthusiasts can set off ear-splitting petards with little fear of consequences?

We need to know that bad behaviour is not being tolerated and perpetrators are identified and that their punishment is doled out.

Feeling helpless in the face of abuse exposes the cracks that years of economic growth have left behind. Prosperity means little if residents feel powerless to defend their quality of life.

Is it time to increase fines and expand the scope for prison sentences?

When people feel immune from consequences, a little extra intoxication is often all it takes to lower their inhibitions.

Can the police convince the public that enforcement applies equally to all offenders, including the most influential bar owners, rather than only the smaller operators?

The point is to have a real deterrent: if we say it, we should mean it.

And just as children don’t necessarily need padlocks when they are grounded, everyone should know that their behaviour choices would have consequences.