'We need sophisticated cameras': Swieqi mayor reacts to spate of thefts
PN says a lot of elderly people are living in fear and anxiety
Localities should introduce "sophisticated cameras", Swieqi mayor Noel Muscat has suggested, in light of several reported home thefts.
During a Nationalist Party press conference, Muscat said there had been a “spate of thefts” in Swieqi and nearby localities.
"These cameras should be placed in strategic positions around different localities so that we can better oversee what is happening in our locality,” Muscat said.
Muscat recognised that thieves are changing their methods, and therefore, modern solutions need to be implemented to prevent these thefts.
Last month, Times of Malta reported that the police increased surveillance after a spate of thefts was reported in Swieqi, Mosta, San Ġwann, Naxxar, and Mellieħa.
A victim of one of the burglaries, who was still in the house when the thief was there, said she felt like she was being “watched over”.
Home Affairs shadow minister Darren Carabott referred to a Europol report released last year that flagged Malta as one of the five countries most affected by organised criminal gangs carrying out thefts and burglaries.
“Feeling safe in your own home should be a priority,” Carabott said.
The PN has previously proposed that police stations must remain open and that police patrols need to be increased, Carabott added.
PN MP Albert Buttigieg spoke about the psychological damage that a home burglary can do to people.
“We had cases where the family was downstairs, and the thieves were upstairs,” Buttigieg said.
He brought up a case where an elderly couple’s home was burgled two weeks ago, while they were at church, and spoke about the anxiety they were experiencing following the theft.
PN MP Paula Mifsud Bonnici spoke about the importance of safeguarding the elderly community's peace of mind, especially for the elderly community.
Although the government promised to provide night shelters for the elderly through its National Strategic Policy for Active Ageing, Mifsud Bonnici said the government has failed to act on this promise.
“We have more than 20,000 elderly people who live in their houses alone, and they deserve to live in their homes with peace of mind,” Bonnici said.
She slammed the government for talking about having safe and secure communities when the reality is that a lot of elderly people are living in fear and anxiety.