Four policemen who recently made the news for helping citizens in distress were yesterday awarded certificates of recognition for their work.

“These are the officers who truly do their work. The officers who I thanked today are the type I want to present before the people,” Police Commissioner Peter Paul Zammit said proudly.

He presented the certificates to Sergeant Major Dunstan Camilleri, Sergeant Norman Xuereb and Constable Simon Schembri who, last month, helped escort a woman to hospital in time to deliver her baby, Julian. The woman and her husband were stuck in traffic in Luqa.

Another officer, Constable Michael Farrugia, was given a certificate for rescuing an 18-month-year-old girl from a locked car parked in the sun.

Mr Zammit said he had “got the message” recently sent by Archbishop Paul Cremona during a Mass celebrating the 199th anniversary of the police force.

Mgr Cremona spoke about ensuring that police officers’ good work came to the public attention.

Mr Zammit then projected two photographs on to a screen: one showing one of the three officers holding baby Julian and another showing the child of an immigrant lying on the ground at the police headquarters.

The latter photo was taken secretly by a police officer and circulated in the media, giving the impression that the child had been abandoned.

Mr Zammit said he was investigating who this officer was, saying this was not an example of good policing.

The Police Commissioner yesterday gave an update to the press of the work carried out by police in the past three months – since he was appointed commissioner.

He said he immediately set off to reorganise the force to ensure it was equipped for modern-day challenges. He also wanted to ensure that officers were used to their full potential. For this reason there were 224 transfers and 22 retired officers would be reinstated, while the police force would introduce reserve constables – a form of part-timers.

In these three months he had set up the rapid intervention unit that involved merging the mobile squad and the special assignment group. The Gozo CID team had been strengthened and media relations were also made stronger through the setting up of a police Facebook page.

He had given a general amnesty to some 150 officers facing minor internal disciplinary proceedings such as not shaving or turning up late for work.

He also issued orders allowing officers to remove their hat while driving and more flexibility in changing to summer uniform depending on weather rather than calendar.

Speaking about planned demonstrations against immigration he said any events that spread racist sentiments were illegal.