Police board to function from March 1

The police board is to start functioning on March 1, chaired by Mr Justice Franco Depasquale, who will be retiring in a few weeks.

Speaking during a ceremony at the start of a recruitment course at the police academy yesterday, Home Affairs Minister Tonio Borg said the board would be able to react to complaints made to it by members of the public about police behaviour, and would also have the power to investigate on its own initiative, whenever a situation arose which could tarnish the image of the police. The board would also oversee the corps' disciplinary procedures.

A total of 102 recruits started a course at the police academy yesterday, bringing the total of recruits following the courses since 1998 up to 337.

The academy was set up in 1988 and has organised 25 recruitment courses since then, including the current one.

The academy organises other courses, which were attended by 523 members of the police force.