Prime Minister Robert Abela announced on Friday that Police Commissioner Lawrence Cutajar had tendered his resignation and this had been accepted. The resignation of the fifth police commissioner since the start of the Labour administration in 2013 was not unexpected.

Commissioner Cutajar had lost the confidence of the country in the wake of Daphne Caruana Galizia murder probe as well as his seeming reluctance to investigate corruption claims linked to the government.

Accepting the resignation, the prime minister highlighted the positive results the Malta Police Force had achieved in the months since Caruana Galizia’s assassination. He announced that Deputy Police Commissioner Carmelo Magri would be taking over as Acting Police Commissioner.  But Robert Abela also made clear his determination to ensure that long overdue reforms of the police would be instituted. The issue now is twofold: who is to be the long-term replacement as commissioner; and what is to be done to reform this pivotal institution? 

Good leadership is key to the efficiency and morale of any disciplined force. Not for the first time in recent years, the quality of leadership of the Malta Police Force has been thrown into sharp relief and found wanting. It would appear there may be a dearth of leadership talent in the corps, not helped by the interference of politicians who have made selections based on their political allegiance, not on the quality and experience of the individual.

If the force is to break out of the cycle of poor leadership into which it has been thrown in the last seven years, an apolitical system of selection must be adopted – one which chooses the best man for the job based on merit and outstanding qualities, not political allegiance. The recruitment of foreign expertise to help restore belief in the competence of the force and knock it into shape should be considered.

The prime minister underlined the need for “necessary reforms of the force”. He will recognise that the last decades of the corps’ history have been marked by constant political interference and periodic failed attempts at reorganisation and revival.

This has resulted in a lack of stability, a lowering of morale and a culture of mediocrity of performance and leadership.

In 2014, the government’s announcement of “a study and implementation of a reorganisation process on different levels of the police corps” (whatever this meant) did not produce any discernible improvements. It is clear that a radical shake-up of the force is now urgently required.

The best hope is that the prime minister sets up a small, independent commission, reporting directly to him, to examine the state of leadership, training, morale and organisation of the police, and to make far-reaching recommendations. The commission should be required to report before the end of the year.

Maintaining good public order is fundamental to the rule of law and is the mark of a civilised society. The police force has a vital role to play to stamp out the anarchy which has taken root in society.

There is a crucial need to resolve deficiencies in senior police leadership and to implement a sustained rebuilding of the force to restore citizens’ confidence in its independence and operational effectiveness.