Editorial: Balancing police presence and vigilance

There is a fine line between having a police presence that instils fear and one that instils peace of mind.

The presence of armed police in airports overseas and strolling along busy streets is not necessarily one that we aspire to: Malta has thankfully been spared the horrors of terrorism as well as wanton violence.

It is also important to point out that the national crime rate, according to the CrimeMalta Observatory report for 2024, shows that this is declining, in spite of the increase in population. In 2004, there were 45 crimes per 1,000 people, a figure that dropped to just 30 in 2024.

This decrease has also affected residential theft: there were 513 cases in 2024, with 359 of these from occupied residences.

The decrease in crime is great news for the island. However, the numbers only tell part of the story: the sheer audacity of some of these thefts has shaken many residents – especially the elderly – to the core.

Is there anything more disconcerting than not feeling safe in your own home?

And stories of robberies being carried out while people were actually home, asleep or watching television, must scare out of their wits not only the victims but all those who heard about the crime.

Robberies in 2024 were concentrated around the inner harbour areas, St Paul’s Bay and Marsascala.

Sliema, for example, has had a disconcerting number of break-ins in broad daylight: the thief or thieves even attempted to open front doors, often armed with just a screwdriver, in full view of anyone who may have been passing.

These thieves are not merely opportunistic: some of the attempts or thefts involved people who were away from home at the time, showing that there had been careful monitoring and planning.

The police have confirmed that the suspects in the Sliema cases have already been identified, and they must be congratulated for being able to take prompt action.

The police are also promising to step up street patrols in the Sliema core, according to the mayor, involving not only the Sliema police station but also the rapid intervention unit and the traffic police.

Will it ever be enough to ensure that people sleep peacefully in their own houses? Unfortunately, the reality is that even one theft makes a disproportionate number of people jittery and understandably so.

The observatory report warns that deterrence by community police, mobile units and technologies has limited impact on ‘indoor’ crimes such as residential thefts, making the need for individual awareness ever more critical. There are numerous ways in which people can secure their homes – and it is well worth looking up ways to do so. A visible neighbourhood watch, backed by well-placed security cameras, can be one of the most effective deterrents against would-be burglars.

Informal habits – a neighbour keeping an eye on a property while the owners are away, reporting suspicious behaviour promptly, or even leaving a light on for someone returning late – can foster a culture of vigilance that technology alone cannot replace.

But there is another aspect to this; just as the police conduct roadblocks to deter illegalities and bad practice, street patrols can have a double impact: they can reduce crime while at the same time reassure those in their homes.

We have to look after ourselves and look after each other, all the while believing that the police are out there too.