The police force was strengthened with another 56 recruits on Wednesday, following the completion of a four-month training course.

The graduation ceremony took place at Fort St Elmo in Valletta.

The recruits marched to various tunes played by the police band in front of onlookers and relatives who attended the event.

Home Affairs Minister Michael Farrugia, accompanied by Police Commissioner Lawrence Cutajar, inspected a Guard of Honour.

Police Constable Jan Saliba was singled out as the best recruit for distinguishing himself during the course of the training programme.

PC Saliba said he was proud to have received this honour and wanted to be of inspiration for other youths while aiming to continue serving the community.

Mr Cutajar urged the recruits to respect their uniform and remember always that this carries a lot of responsibility. He also urged the recruits to continue their training on the job, especially in the legal field since a police officer cannot enforce laws if he or she is not knowledgeable about them in the first place.

Dr Farrugia said the crime rate in Malta was on the decrease.

While the crime rate dropped by eight per cent in 2018, the first half of this year showed that the rate remained on more or less the same levels.

Home Affairs Minister Michael Farrugia and Police Commissioner Lawrence Cutajar attended the ceremony on Wednesday amid scenes of joy and celebration.