Il-pulizija għandhom bżonn aktar appoġġ fil-qadi ta’ dmirijiethom. Dan sostnewh kelliema ta’ ADPD – The Green Party waqt konferenza tal-aħbarijiet f’San Pawl il-Baħar dalgħodu.

Is-Segretarju Ġenerali tal-ADPD, Dr Ralph Cassar qal li l-pulizija huwa bla dubju l-ewwel persuna li nagħmlu kuntatt magħha hekk kif jinqala’ xi saram u jkollna bżonn lil min jipproteġina. Meta nħabbtu wiċċna ma’ għawġ u sfidi, ilkoll infittxu għajnuna u wens mingħand il-Pulizija. Il-popolazzjoni ta’ Malta qiegħda dejjem tiżdied, u l-okkażjonijiet fejn il-pulizija jkollha tintervjeni sabiex iżżomm l-ordni qegħdin isiru aktar frekwenti. Huwa ċar li n-numru ta’ uffiċjali tal-pulizija huwa ftit wisq għad-daqs tal-popolazzjoni tagħna.

Infatti meta tara l-ammont ta’ għases magħluqin,  tinduna kemm din l-anomalija hi riflessa fiż-żamma tal-ordni fil-pajjiż: ħmieġ kull fejn tħares, laxkezza u sens ta’ “kollox jgħaddi”; dan kull ma jmur qiegħed jaqta’ qalb iċ-ċittadin. L-investiment fl-għases u iktar u iktar fil-korp tal-pulizija huwa sinjal ta’ gvern li jagħti kas il-buon ordni tal-pajjiż. Imma dan mhux iseħħ. Meta tħares lejn rħula bħal San Pawl il-Baħar, San Ġwann, Pembroke, il-Mellieħa, Paceville, is-Swieqi u Ħal Kirkop fost oħrajn, tinduna kemm dan is-servizz huwa dgħajjef u li hemm bżonn jissaħħaħ.  Dan jista’ jsir bi ħlas xieraq għall-pulizija mħarrġa u b’loġistika effiċjenti sabiex iċ-ċittadini jinqdew malajr kemm jista’ jkun filwaqt li jħossu l-preżenza ta’ awtorità fil-lokalità tagħhom. Li jkollok għassa miftuħa u tiffunzjona tagħti sens ta’ sigurtà u ordni.  Irridu ukoll naraw t-tisħiħ tal-Pulizija tal-Komunità, aktar enfasi fuq dan l-aspett, biex tissaħħaħ s-sens ta’ koperazzjoni, trasparenza, fiduċja u s-sens ta’ responsabilità lejn xulxin fil-komunitajiet tagħna, temm jgħid Cassar.

Iċ-Chairperson tal-ADPD, Sandra Gauci qalet li kif rajna dan l-aħħar, is-sens ta’ ordni u rispett lejn il-pulizija qiegħed jintilef. B’dak li ġara l-Ħamrun u riċentement anke fl-għassa ta’ Tas Sliema, naraw kif il-korp m’għadux inissel f’uħud sens ta’ rispett; il-pulizija kważi saru ta’ xkiel għal min dara jagħmel li jfettillu.

Imma l-ħuta minn rasha tinten.  L-eżempju jkaxkar.  Jekk is-sens ta’ ġustizzja u ordni jitkasbru  bla skrupli minn min imexxi,  mhux ta’ b’xejn li jkun hemm min iħossu ‘l fuq mil-liġi.  F’pajjiż b’mentalità ta’ “xejn m’hu xejn” u “ħallini nagħmel li rrid biex inħossni liberu”, huwa faċli li jseħħ hekk.

Jekk il-messaġġ li jasal minn fuq ikun ta’ nepotiżmu u pjaċiri biex jinxtraw il-voti, id-dixxiplina u s-serjetà diffiċli li naslu għalihom. Kellna uffiċjali pubbliċi li raw kif għamlu biex qdew b’mod illegali nies li ma kienx ħaqqhom. Kellna l-iskandli bħal tal-liċenzji tas-sewqan li ngħataw bi pjaċir flok fuq il-kompetenza, il-ħruġ ta’ benefiċċji tad-diżabilità lil min ma ħaqqux kif ukoll l-allegat kas tat-18,000 karta tal-identita falza.  Dan kollu jwassal messaġġ li entitajiet tal-gvern huma korrotti u li lesti jmorru kontra l-liġi biex tinqeda klikka. Ħadd għadu ma refa’ r-responsabilita politika ta’ dak li seħħ.  Dan jagħti l-messaġġ ċar li l-liġi u sens ta’ etika ma jgħoddux għal kulħadd.

Dan kollu jwassal għal demotivazzjoni minn min jipprova jagħmel l-affarijiet kif għandhom isiru.  Studju tal-Eurobarometer juri li 92% tal-Maltin jaħsbu li l-każjiet ta’ korruzzjoni huma rampanti fil-pajjiż. Jidher ukoll li mill-2022 għall-2023, nies ta’ din il-fehma żdiedu bi 13%..

“Id-dixxiplina u r-rettitudni għandha tibda minn fuq,” temmet tgħid Gauci.

***

Police officers need greater support on the job

The police need more support in the performance of their duties. This was emphasized by speakers of ADPD – The Green Party during a news conference in San Pawl il-Baħar this morning.

Secretary General Dr. Ralph Cassar said that the police are undoubtedly the first people we contact when something trouble arises and we seek protection.  “When there is a problem, they are the first people we call to find a solution or offer reassurance.  This need is being increasingly felt over time in a country that is constantly increasing in population, and as a consequence, the number of cases involving the need to maintain public order increases.  When you take the actual number of people in Malta and compare that with the number of police officers currently in the force, it is clear that something is not quite right. 

Take for example the number of police stations that have closed.  You will realize how much this anomaly reflects in the maintenance of order in the country: litter everywhere you look, negligence and a sense of anything goes are increasingly discouraging for people. Investing in police stations, and even more so in the police force overall, is an important message from a government that pays attention to safe communities in the country. But this is not happening. When you look at places such as San Paul il-Baħar, San Ġwann, Pembroke, Mellieħa, Paceville, Swieqi and Ħal Kirkop amongst others, you will notice how weak this service is and that it needs to be strengthened.  This can be done with appropriate compensation for trained police and with logistics that work so that citizens are served as quickly as possible while feeling the presence of authority in their locality. Having an open and functioning police station gives a sense of security and order. Moreover we want to see the strengthening of community policing. Community policing, with its emphasis on partnership, engagement, and proactive problem-solving works,” concluded Cassar.

Chairperson Sandra Gauci said “As we have witnessed recently, the sense of order and respect towards the police is slowly being lost. As we can see in the recent events in Ħamrun and in the Sliema police station, we see how the police force no longer instils respect.  Indeed, the police have become an obstacle for those who dare to do what they want.

But as we know, actions speak louder than words.  If justice and the law is being belittled by the hour by those who lead, it is no big surprise seeing people who think they are above the law.  In a country where the mentality is anything goes and “I’m free to do anything I want”, it is easy for this to become the general feeling nationwide. 

If the message communicated by the people in power is nepotism and vote-buying favours, it will be difficult for discipline and seriousness to take root.  We have had public officials breaking the law to assist those who wanted a favour.  We have had scandals such as the driving test scandal whereby licences were given out as a favour and not because they were merited, disability allowances given to those who did not have a genuine disability as well as the allegation of 18,000 fake identity cards being issued.  All this conveys the message that government entities are corrupt and ready to break the law for the sake of the few.  Nobody has taken up political responsibility for all this.  Once again, this conveys the message that the law and ethical behaviour does not apply to all. 

All these occurrences lead to demotivation amongst those who work conscientiously and diligently.  A recent survey on corruption conducted by the European Union reveals that 92% of the Maltese believe that corruption is widespread in Malta.  It appears that from 2022 to 2023, an increase of 13% was registered. 

“Discipline and rectitude should start from the top,” concluded Gauci.