Minister reports 40 per cent drop in serious crimes since 1998

European Union membership would permit Maltese police officers to take part in a number of training programmes, Home Affairs Minister Tonio Borg said yesterday.

These programmes included Stop, on the trafficking of illegal immigrants and sexual exploitation of children; Daphne, on violence to women and children; Falcone, on organised crime; Odysseus, on illegal immigration and refugees; Oisin, on law enforcement and Hippokrates, on crime prevention, particularly crime among young people in cities, and drugs.

Police would also have the opportunity of cooperating actively with their counterparts in EU member states through Europol, Dr Borg said.

He was speaking at the passing out parade of 100 new officers who took their oath in the morning after an intensive nine-week basic training course. Yesterday's ceremony brought the staff complement in the force to 1,890.

Police Commissioner John Rizzo urged the new officers to further their studies and told them there were ample opportunities in the force for those who wanted to progress.

Dr Borg said that when the government took over in 1998, it had promised to increase the number of officers, raise the educational requirements to join the force, increase wages and equip the force better.

In the first intake after 1998, 335 new officers were appointed as recruitment had been frozen for the previous two years. For the first time, applicants required at least three O level passes.

Dr Borg said wages were also raised and recurrent expenditure for wages, overtime and allowances this year reached Lm13 million.

The minister said that when compared to 1998, a police constable's salary had increased by 26 per cent, while a sergeant's and an inspector's had gone up by 29 per cent. Allowances were also increased by 43 per cent.

He said that in a bid to improve the working environment of the force, 20 police stations were restored, a new station was built at Valletta and a new administrative complex costing close to Lm1 million was also built.

Dr Borg said that action had also been taken in the legal sector to amend the criminal code by giving new rights to victims and creating more offence categories as well as increasing fines.

The minister said that since 1998 there had been a 40 per cent drop in serious crimes, such as hold-ups, and there was also a decline in car theft.