“Twenty five years of saving lives, helping others, going through fire for people and, most of all, being a patient yourself and ending it with you fighting for your life.” These were the loving words of a young woman paying tribute to her father on his retirement from the police force.
Simon Schembri was almost killed and lost part of his right arm when he was dragged for several metres under a speeding car he had tried to stop.
Serving and retired officers have similar experiences to recount.
Others, sadly, did not survive their ordeal, like the young constable shot by a colleague and the father of three earning some extra money by doing bank guard duties who was brutally shot again as he lay mortally wounded on the ground.
Such episodes demonstrate that all members of the force, from the very top right down to the lowest rank, are permanently on the front line and their lives can constantly be hanging in the balance. This will not change.
Police officers are exposed to danger whatever they do: preserving public order and peace; preventing, detecting and investigating offences; collecting evidence; and taking offenders to court. And they remain policemen round the clock.
Dealing with money laundering, the financing of terrorism and solving crime, which could range from extortion to fatal explosions using electronic means, demands officers who are up to scratch even with the latest technology.
A robust investment to ensure the best possible people are recruited, trained and retained is, therefore, a must.
According to the financial estimates, the government will be spending almost €83 million on the police force this year, including €76.5 million in personal emoluments, the big bulk of which – just under €49 million – consisting of salaries.
Figures in the same document also show that, as of last summer, the force consisted of almost 2,100 officers, including 1,534 constables. The highest paid was, of course, the police commissioner, who falls within Scale 2, which carries an annual salary of €43,584.
A police constable gets a Scale 14 pay, starting at €16,361 and then getting increments of €316 until reaching a maximum of €18,262. The actual pay packages will be higher when taking into account allowances, overtime and other fringe benefits.
Still, with those kinds of salaries, it is no wonder that IT and security specialists employed with the corps continue to leave for more lucrative jobs while many citizens who believe in the rule of law would never be enticed to join the corps.
It cannot be very encouraging when officers compare their income and conditions with those of similarly qualified people working in the private sector but also with other government entities. This becomes glaringly evident if, for example, one were to look at the former Malta Financial Services Authority CEO’s basic salary of €115,000 and weigh it against what the police commissioner earns, despite facing a fraction of the risks.
Air-conditioned police stations and well-equipped interrogation rooms are welcome, but the spirit of the men and women on the field will truly be lifted when they are treated like others, if not better, since they will always remain society’s frontliners.
Maybe it really is time for the police corps to branch away and be regulated and financed by a separate autonomous and independent authority, which truly rewards the serving officers and, possibly, entices more professionals to what is a delicate and essential arm of our society.