Malta losing war on crime, opposition claims

Rising crime figures and a market that was full of drugs proved that the government was losing the war on crime and drug-taking, Opposition home affairs spokesman Gavin Gulia told parliament yesterday.

But Home Affairs Minister Tonio Borg said the crime rate was growing at a slower rate than under the Labour government, the rate of serious crime was in decline and the percentage of solved cases was rising.

Speaking during the budget debate on the Home Affairs Ministry, Dr Gulia said that the government had promised to fight crime, yet the crime rate was constantly rising. A record was reached in the year 2000, the rate dipped slightly last year, but had this year risen in an alarming manner and by October it was already higher than in 1998 and would almost reach that of the year 2000.

One could not argue, as the government did, that it was only petty crime that had risen. It was a mistake to make this distinction and it was never made before.

In 1996 the crime rate under the old method of compilation of statistics was 8,314. In 1997 it was 11,596 but that figure had jumped after the new statistical method was introduced in August.

In 1998, 14,636 crimes were reported, in 1999, 15,855; in the year 2000, 16,861 crimes, in 2001, 15,664 and this year up to October, there were 13,967 crime reports. That figure was expected to rise to 16,760 by year's end.

Last year, Home Affairs Minister Tonio Borg had promised to publish by January a document on the state of crime in Malta, but that still had not seen the light of day, no doubt because the government had a lot to hide. Indeed, this was the first time crime statistics for November had not been published by this time of year. This did not reflect a hands on attitude in the fight against crime.

Drug-related theft was clearly the main reason why the crime rate was soaring. The drugs market was full and more young people were falling into the trap of drug-taking. The minister would claim major successes against drug barons. That was good. But drug barons were caught under the Labour government too, and none were allowed to get away. Clearly, despite the isolated successes, the war against crime was being lost.

Dr Gulia complained of promotions for "friends of friends" in the police force, particularly in the promotion of Emanuel Cassar and Godfrey Scicluna to assistant commissioners, a move which he said had demoralised other officers.

He said the work being done on the upgrading of police stations lacked direction. Work had been done on the police stations of Xghajra, Marfa and Mdina, which had tiny populations. In contrast, the police stations of Marsascala and St Julian's, which had far bigger populations, were a dump. Marsascala was also seriously lacking in the number of police officers on the beat.

It was worrying that the capital vote for the police had dropped, after increases in the past three years, despite the work which still remained to be done in many police stations.

Turning to the prisons, Dr Gulia said he was glad that prison escapes seemed to have stopped, but the condition of prisoners needed to be improved and there should be transparency in the way disciplinary decisions were taken. The prisoners should be given more opportunity to work. One should even consider remissions based on productivity.

There was also need for political discrimination among prison employees to stop.

Dr Gulia said the government needed to take tougher action over juvenile crime and how young criminals were punished so that they did not need to be sent to prison with hardened criminals.

Dr Gulia said assistance and rescue officers in the Civil Protection Department who had not transferred to the department from the police force should also be eligible for pensionable retirement after 25 years, as was the case for all members of the disciplined forces.

Referring to illegal immigrants, Dr Gulia said he could not understand how funding for the police to accommodate illegal immigrants had not increased even though this year the police had to request extra funds for this purpose after the big influx of illegal immigrants.

Replying, Dr Borg said the crime rate was rising at a substantially slower rate than under the Labour government and it was pertinent to point out that the number of hold-ups had dropped by 40 per cent in four years and the number of solved hold-up cases had risen to 40 per cent from 29 per cent four years ago. The number of car thefts had dropped from 1,000 in 1998 to 600 now.

In all, the solved crime rate, calculated on the basis of court arraignments, had risen to 57 per cent which, when compared to the rate in other countries such as the UK, was very satisfactory.

It was true that there had been an increase in petty crime and this was not taken lightly. While the number of snatch and grab cases was down by 59 per cent, most of the increase was accounted for by an increase in the theft of mobile phones, to 1,750 from 154 four years ago. But while there were only 20,000 mobile phones four years ago, there were now 250,000.

Dr Borg said this government had improved the pay of policemen. At the time when this government took office, policemen were complaining after seeing their income drop by Lm650,000. Recurrent spending for the police had risen by Lm3 million in the past four years to Lm13 million, an average increase of Lm1,600 per policeman. The income of constables had gone up by 26 per cent and that of sergeants by 29 per cent. Inspectors were earning 31 per cent more.

Dr Borg said the people were proud of the success being achieved by the police and the security service, including the case where 19 persons were arraigned for planning to import four kilos of cocaine. Drug seizures this year were double those of last year.

Successful investigations included the case involving two judges and the warden murder case. He was informed that good progress was also being made in similar murder cases.

Dr Borg said the government had over the past four years substantially increased capital expenditure on the police force some of which went for the extension of police headquarters, the purchase of 125 new vehicles with more on order, equipment for the forensics lab and updating of police stations. The police stations that had been updated included those mentioned by Dr Gulia as well as those at Zurrieq, Qormi, San Gwann and Birkirkara, which were large population centres. This was a far cry from under Labour, when not even a new car was bought in its last year in office. Investment had also been increased on police training.

Dr Borg said security cameras of the sort installed at Paceville some months ago would also be set up in other localities.

Reacting to Dr Gulia's reference to Marsascala, Dr Borg said summer police patrols there had been stepped up, and the crime rate had gone down.

Dr Borg rejected the criticism of political appointments for assistant commissioners and said no one was passed over.

The minister thanked the police and the AFM for their work following the influx of illegal immigrants this year. He insisted that Malta could not accommodate immigrants who had no right to be here and those who were not refugees or deserved humanitarian protection could not be accommodated here. Protection and assistance would be given, however, for those who were found to have been persecuted.

Near the end of his speech Dr Borg gave an overview of legislation approved over the past months including the updating of the Criminal Code, the police law, the Immigration Act and the Disposal of Government Property Act.

Turning to the prisons, he said work on the new prison wing which would include 144 cells, was advanced and prisoners were currently working on the furniture.

He pointed out that seven prisoners had sat for their "O" level examinations, three for their "A" levels, two obtained License A for wiremen and two were attending university.

This government, the minister said, had doubled the money for prisoners with a drug problem, who were currently in three centres, as well as for the work and gratuity of prisoners.

He praised the work of the Civil Protection Department and said the income of its officers had also increased.

The salary of civil protection officers in 1998, when they still formed part of the police force, was Lm4,300, while it now was Lm5,500. Their allowances had increased from an average of Lm45 a month to an average of Lm120 a month.

Speaking briefly on compensation for expropriated properties, Dr Borg said Lm13.5 million had been paid back in the past four years, an average of Lm3.4 million a year. In contrast, only Lm1 million a year had been given in compensation between 1996-98.

He referred to a Joint Office scheme for the redemption of ground rent on former Church properties and said it had been very successful with 2,000 applying.

The votes of expenditure were approved after a division with 30 in favour and 20 against. An opposition motion for the deduction of Lm1 from the minister's salary as a sign of no confidence was defeated.