Only one security camera left in Paceville's public areas

Only one security camera remains from the five that were installed around Paceville in 2002 and it is not known what happened to the other four.

The location of the existing camera was not disclosed by the Ministry of Justice and Home Affairs but communications officer Darrell Pace confirmed that an exercise to install a further six is under way.

In 2002, St Julians mayor Peter Bonello and then Parliamentary Secretary George Pullicino inaugurated five CCTV cameras that were met with mixed reactions.

A few weeks ago, Mr Bonello told The Times that there were no cameras in the area but when contacted again he refused to comment further, saying that a press release will be issued in two weeks' time.

This follows various calls by residents, Paceville-goers and the public for more surveillance in Malta's entertainment hotspot known to be rife with underage drinking, illegal smoking in nightclubs, brawls and drug trafficking.

Lately, there have been several allegations of police brutality in the area. On June 6, two handcuffed migrants were allegedly beaten by the police in front of several witnesses and, following reports of the incidents by The Times, other people have also come forward with similar stories.

In 2002, some residents and patrons complained about an infringement on their privacy when the cameras were installed but less than two weeks later a man was stabbed in Paceville and the case was solved partly thanks to what was recorded on tape.

In 2003, following a parliamentary question, it was announced that more cameras were to be installed to improve security but this was never done.

Instead, it seems that the few cameras that were initially put in place were not maintained. The ministry refrained from giving details about what happened to the cameras and remained uncommitted as to who is responsible for them.

Asked about the number of officers assigned to Paceville, Mr Pace said that, for the first time, 30 officers are being assigned every weekend in the summer period. But this number can be beefed up rapidly should the need arise, Mr Pace noted.