Police step up patrols amid Sliema burglary reports

Police patrols in the core of Sliema are being intensified following break-ins in broad daylight involving attempts to open the front doors of townhouses in full view.

The Sliema local council said it met with the police on Wednesday and was assured they are “on it” and have already identified suspects, mayor John Pillow said. It was not yet clear if one or more thieves were involved.

“We have asked to step up patrols and more police presence has been guaranteed as of today,” he said, adding that this involved not only the Sliema police station but also the rapid intervention unit and the traffic police.

Pillow said the break-ins had been going on for more than four weeks, with a surge in attempts over the last couple of days, leading to an intensification of police investigations.

A pattern has been observed, whereby the homes of elderly residents with “weak” doors are being targeted in the heart of Sliema. “Some of these doors can easily be kicked in,” he said, stressing the need to have good locks.

“Whoever it is, they are going for easy access through the front door and are not concerned about breaking in during the day.” The fact that they were going for the front door – “in everyone’s face” – was worrying, the local council said, boiling it down to “desperation”.

On Wednesday, the local council was made aware of two break-ins in Stella Maris Street and one in Don Mikiel Rua Street, although they appear to have been unsuccessful. However, on Sunday night a door of a townhouse on Isouard Street was “literally kicked down” while the couple residing there was in Gozo. This indicated that the people behind the thefts have been “studying the situation”.

Wednesday saw another robbery at a café on Isouard Street, corner with Depiro Street, in the early hours of the morning, emptying out its cash register, the local council said.

Damage to a front door of a Sliema residence targeted by burglars.

Screwdriver

One Sliema resident, who preferred to be unnamed, told Times of Malta his house in Stella Maris Street was the target of a failed break-in, which occurred in the middle of the day on Wednesday, when his family was out on an appointment.

“Had I been there, it would have been a different story as I would not have let him escape,” said the owner of the house, who returned home to notice that his main door on the busy street was chipped.

The resident was glad his partner and their newborn were not home alone at the time and also that he had a strong, double barrel lock, otherwise the thief may have managed.

“I imagine that if break-ins are happening during the day, they are looking for petty cash and jewellery… I cannot imagine them walking out with a TV on their shoulders.”

His first thought was relief that the attempt had failed “but, then again, we are talking about objects here. People have left their homes because of the trauma of such an experience”.

From images he saw, the perpetrator would appear to be posing as a tourist and taking close-up photos of the doors. “Apparently, he knocks on the door randomly, and, if no one answers, he attempts to prise it open.”

In a Facebook post, the resident warned that the tool being used for this was probably a long screwdriver rather than a crowbar, as has been suggested, because the marks were too narrow. He described the dents as thin and matching previous doors’ damage.

“It is easier and less suspicious to go around with a screwdriver concealed under your shirt,” he maintained, adding that neighbours who may have seen the person in the act would not have thought much of it and just assumed it was someone working on the door.

Sliema resident Daniel Camilleri had also alerted his community to similar crimes in Don Mikiel Rua Street and Howard Street on Monday night, claiming that the incidents happened at the homes of two of his elderly female neighbours.

One of the women, who lives across the street from him, was at home when the attempt occurred. The other, who lives above him in the same block of flats, was out at the time.

He urged anyone who may have seen someone walking around Sliema with a crowbar, or anything similar, on Monday night, to contact the authorities.

“I couldn’t help but think about my grandparents and that this could have so easily been them,” Camilleri said.

“We have not issued an official statement not to create more panic and alarm the elderly – the majority of residents in the core of Sliema. But we encourage everyone to be vigilant and to have good locks, alarms and cameras,” said Sliema local council executive secretary Pierre Portelli.

“In the past, everyone knew their neighbours but that is no longer the case today,” he continued, urging residents to take a photo if they saw someone walking up and down the same street suspiciously and to contact the police and even the local council if necessary.

The Sliema Residents Facebook page has called for any information that could be shared to help the whole community, listing attempted break-ins so far also in Tigné, Ċensu Xerri and Matthew Pulis Street.

One member said Sliema residents were living a “nightmare”, bringing back the stanga (bolt) behind the doors, following the break-ins in the locality.