Prominent members of the Nationalist Party hit out, viciously, at Police Commissioner Angelo Gafà (no relation to author) – they, the same people, who insist that “the institutions must be allowed to work freely”.
The public think otherwise, for most of the population trust the police force.
A survey, carried out in 2023, by the National Statistics Office, in collaboration with the Malta Police Force, sought the public’s opinion on integrity, professionalism, trust, image, service and community policing.
The outcome left no room for doubt: 90% of the population trust the police force. It was carried out among 1,553 individuals aged 18 and over; 44.9% had a high level of trust, another 45.1% expressed a moderate level of trust, while 9.7% per cent trusted the police slightly or not at all.
Of those trusting the police a lot, 48.9% said that the police acted with dignity, fairness and respect; 59.6% perceived the police force to have a high level of integrity against 27.1% who were neutral; 40.2% noted that the police made their presence felt – implicitly giving people peace of mind.
Meanwhile, 54.1% saw the police as impartial enforcers of the law, and those who neither agreed nor disagreed with the impartiality of the police accounted for 30%; 31.5% said the police acted when called.
Respondents were asked about their perceptions of the police on specific characteristics, ranging from integrity to impartiality.
Community policing teams, introduced recently, have been an extraordinary success. Over two-thirds of the population were aware of community policing teams.
These outstanding results are a collective effort, from the police commissioner to the police officers at police stations around Malta and Gozo, to our brave men and women, not least seasoned investigators, working tirelessly, in various police departments and police squads, to those working in administration.
There is, of course, room for improvement but the Nationalist Party’s continuous attack on the police commissioner and his dedicated men and women across the force is unjustified, disrespectful and cruel.
The opposition wants the police commissioner to be chosen through a two-thirds majority in parliament. It’s a rehash of what they had already said way back in 2017.
Following recommendations by the Venice Commission, Prime Minister Robert Abela had gone one step further. The Venice Commission, while proposing changes on the method of appointment of the police commissioner, had given the prime minister a veto right on such appointments. Abela opted to forgo the right of veto.
Community policing teams, introduced recently, have been an extraordinary success- Marija Sara Vella Gafà
Contrary to what used to happen in the past, when the commissioner of police was handpicked by the prime minister, a public call is now issued. Two candidates are shortlisted by the Public Service Commission.
The prime minister will then choose one of the candidates, who must also be approved by parliament’s Public Appointments Committee.
Former European Court of Human Rights judge, Giovanni Bonello had also expressed reservations to the two-thirds majority as proposed by the opposition, saying that the “proposal was flawless on paper but would not work in practice” (The Malta Independent, October 31, 2017).
The new system adopted by the government is transparent and avoids the deadlock that a two-thirds majority could create.
Way back in 2020, the Malta Police Transformation Strategy 2020-2025 was launched by Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri and Gafà.
Among the strategy’s key objectives: to increase trust and confidence in the force; transforming the force into a modern, efficient and more community-centric; and ensuring management and leadership practices that are efficient.
The 2023 NSO survey demonstrates that changes made within the force were well-received by the public at large.
The National Audit Office (NAO) has just published a follow-up report covering audit activities on government entities, including the Malta Police Force. The purpose of this exercise (as far as the police force is concerned) was to monitor and report on internal controls exercised by the force in relation to expenditure on overtime and allowances.
An audit, carried out by the NAO and published a few days ago, notes that deficiencies identified in 2020, together with recommendations, were 100% implemented by the Malta Police Force.
It is indeed unfortunate that, rather than acknowledging the sterling work done by the Malta Police Force, the opposition party seeks solely to demoralise its professional and dedicated men and women.
Fortunately, the public thinks otherwise.
Marija Sara Vella Gafà is chairperson of the Labour Party’s Electoral Commission.