Pavement inconvenience

I live in a block of flats in Amery Street, Sliema. Outside the two buildings, one on each side, of this block the residents therein have chosen to embellish (what an ugly word to be used only by ugly people) the street by planting hibiscus shrubs within a part of the already-narrowed-enough pavement.

Practically every day of the year, the rolled-up remains of these plants' dead flowers rain down. Since whoever has to pass that way has to step right over them - as sideways movement is blocked by cars parked nose to tail - and these are very slippery, people have been falling down all over the place on account of them.

Some time ago, when there was only one of the two offending embellishments, I made out a report to the police and, after a lot of insistence and persistence on my part, the owner of the shrub was taken to court - only to have the case dismissed by the magistrate. Now the law is very clear on this point, in that no form of obstruction can be placed in public roads without a permit from the police and in that the pavement is to be considered as a part of the road surfaces.

In these circumstances would it not be proper that, in the event of damage or injury occurring, the Commissioner of Police be held responsible for such or should such responsibility be shifted onto whoever ended up deciding that there was no case?