Updated 1.45pm with PL reaction

Malta is falling deeper into a pit of violence and its police force is “overworked and definitely not overpaid”, the Nationalist Party said on Saturday.

PN MP and Home Affairs spokesperson Joe Giglio said that several of the party’s proposals concerning police officers were being ignored by the government. He noted that negotiations to wrap up a new collective agreement for the police corps had yet to be concluded.

Among the proposals floated by the PN is one to guarantee officers a full pension even if they choose to continue working with the police after 25 years of service.

Giglio said the government also needed to do more to listen to constructive criticism about a lack of enforcement and act to fix shortcomings.

“With no discipline, everyone begins to feel like they can do what they want, and that leads to safety for everyone being reduced,” the PN MP said as he argued that violent incidents are on the rise.

“The PN expects the government to take this sector seriously,” he added.

Data published earlier this year indicated that while Malta’s overall crime rate is dropping, violent crime has doubled over the past 15 years, rising from three to six crimes per 1,000 people between 2004 and 2022.

A large share of that is due to a dramatic increase in domestic violence cases. Bodily harm cases have decreased slightly over the years, while the murder rate has remained largely stable.

PL: We are the party that improved police conditions

In a reaction, the Labour Party said that it would be improving conditions for disciplined forces, including the police, and noted that the prime minister had made pledges to that effect just weeks ago. 

It was the Labour Party that secured collective agreements for various disciplined forces and also changed the law to allow police officers to unionise, the party said. 

“The Nationalist Party is in no position to lecture about this,” the PL said, adding that if Giglio wanted to boost police morale, “the first thing he should do is tell his party leader to stop attacking them at every turn.”