Discipline in law enforcement

An order must be obeyed to be effective. A law or regulation must be ordered to be carried out or to be obeyed. Otherwise it is useless action. Just a scrap of paper. Moreover, the order must be seen to be obeyed. Lackadaisical observance is just as bad. The result is practically as ineffective as non-observance.

All this shows the importance of discipline in life. Lethargic response to an order or to an obligation for an action imports a lot of words signifying nothing.

According to dramatist and novelist John Lyly "nature without discipline is of small force, and discipline without nature more feeble". In effect duties and obligations have to be natural in essence and logic. Otherwise it is the rule, or rather misrule, of the jungle.

Law enforcement agencies

We have a number of law enforcement agencies. Not as many as, say, the US but nearly enough for our purpose. The Police is the first agency that comes to mind. Being a small republic there is no need for federal agents, state rangers and county sheriffs. Our police force has a special branch to enforce the law rather than to prevent offences. Yet even here one has a right to comment at a later stage.

The AFM is also a law enforcement agency. Strictly speaking, however, this is not its mission or its raison d'être. The Customs department has very important duties in this context. Customs officials have to be on special lookout and question any suspicious-looking behaviour. At times even an inordinate insistence on right doing by a dodgy 'customer' may prove to be not innocuous.

The central government has also the advantage of other law enforcement agencies. There are health inspectors, building and environment enforcers - now a special branch of the Malta Environment and Planning Authority - agricultural and fisheries inspectors and fair trade controllers. Local councils have their wardens. They do not have as yet volunteer police constables, as is the case in the UK.

Local wardens

The great Roman philosopher Seneca argued that "no evil inclination in the human heart is so powerful that it may not be subdued by discipline". At this time local wardens are being once again targeted for lack of manners and for obsessive single-mindedness. They seem hell-bent on issuing a "set quota of parking tickets".

Smoke-emitting buses, minivans and trucks, cement spilling from concrete mixer transport, spalls or construction waste dropping all along the roads making them more uneasy and frustrating to drive along, do not appear by the looks of it on their list of ticket booking.

Litter may be just the effect of insensitivity to the environment. At worse it may be culpable negligence. In actual fact it is an offence whatever the motive. And yet, what do statistics have to show for tickets issued against offenders of the variety of laws and regulations except traffic offences? Even here there is a case for complaints. Faulty vehicles that would not pass VRT, over speeding and double parking seem to be accorded the Nelson eye.

Building and environment enforcers

The abundance of hillocks or plateaux formed by rubbish dumps that are criminally increasing is ruining the countryside. These dumps seem to be mushrooming every week along the beauty spots of Malta and Gozo, including Comino. These man-made monstrosities do not 'grow' in a day. It actually takes years.

What is truly surprising is that the eyesore at id-Dwejra in Gozo was 'discovered' some ten years after it started flourishing. The number of building contractors in Gozo is no secret. It is really quite small compared to the number in Malta. Yet the Dwejra carbuncle went on growing for some time after the photographic discovery.

The police appeared to be incapable of solving the problem through their own resources. Yet, it is submitted that owners of trucks unloading construction waste are well known. They could be taken to court where they may be ordered to transfer their quota of dumping to a pre-determined place ordered by MEPA.

All this calls to mind a maxim of the philosopher Ruskin: "No man who is feeble in his own work can help others." The "others" in this quotation and context are citizens who have to suffer the unhealthy and unsightly inconvenience. The State too is the victim because of the international criticism and condemnation of the unacceptable state of our environment.

Health inspectors

There are two categories of towns and villages. There are those that are spick and span within the confines of the locality and in the surrounding area. Then there are those that are drab and in certain spots down right dirty as to be dangerous to health.

This is caused by litter of household waste including carcasses of animals. Once such a dirty environment is noticed by the ordinary citizen, should it not be easy for a health inspector to take note and the necessary immediate action?

Neighbourhood watch scheme

It is indeed a pity that neighbourhood watch schemes do not seem to have taken root in Malta. Much less in Gozo. However neighbourhood watch is a well-known scheme to quite a large number of most ranks in the police department.

This is an appeal to Commissioner John Rizzo, who is doing such splendid work in investigation and bringing the offenders before the courts of justice. He knows well enough that prior to investigation of crime, it is the duty of the executive police to prevent offences.

Some time back, the Association of Lyceum Past Students - ALPS - as an NGO issued a circular letter inviting local councils to take note and establish the Neighbourhood Watch and the Victim Support Scheme.

ALPS showed their readiness to lecture on ways and means to establish such schemes.

The response was not very encouraging. ALPS is still ready to collaborate with the police to hold lectures or seminars on the subject to interested local councils.