Friday, 18th July 2008
Police complain about miserable refreshments
A police constable hands out food to colleagues stationed at the Bus Terminus, Valletta. Photo: Darrin Zammit Lupi
Members of the Police Corps complained of being served with inadequate refreshments during their long hours on duty during the transport strike.
Notwithstanding high temperatures, officers, who spent long hours under the scorching sun, said they only got a small supply of water and, at times, this was even warm.
"And the food handed out was inedible," complained a police officer, preferring to remain unnamed for obvious reasons. "It was a container of cold spaghetti and a tablespoon of tomato sauce."
A number of officers stationed in different parts of the island were even unluckier, getting no food or water at all.
At one point a number of officers agreed to fork out €1 each to purchase water when this was not served with the small snack delivered to them.
Given the campaigns run by the health promotion authorities, some felt that sun protection cream should have been supplied too. But couldn't this be applied before reporting for duty? No, explained a worried officer, because none of them had been informed in advance where they would be stationed.
"I was informed I was working the following morning just hours before I was expected to report on duty. Or, rather, hours after being relieved," a police officer said.
A number of officers were enjoying their leisure time when they were hastily ordered to report at their station or at the headquarters. Some were also diverted from their regular duties, instructed to wear their uniforms (in the case of plainclothes policemen), and stationed in sensitive areas of the island. Now they also wonder when they will get paid for the overtime worked. "We haven't even been paid for our duties at the counting hall during the general election yet. I wonder when we'll be receiving the overtime earned during this industrial action," an officer said.
When asked about the complaints raised, a spokesman for the Police Force said that, for the time being, the force has no comment to make.
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Comments
J Martinelli, What the tourists expected was what happens in their country swift actions by taking back the streets from thugs, even if it takes tear gas, and clubbing a few. This is why we might lose the cruise ships.
@To our police officers: you must demand proper protection such as helmets and shields for all not just a small group of officers. I'm on the citizens side forJUSTICE.
Now they are complaining that they were not given proper refreshments. No one offered me any form of refreshment while I was stuck in the chaos; but I did buy myself some water. When I felt hungry I bought myself a ftira. At no point did I go public complaining that I had not been given food and water while on duty weaving through the traffic.
Come on guys, if you want to make a constructive suggestion do so but no need to taint yourselves with the puerile arguments that the refreshments you were given were not up to standard. By all means sort it out between yourselves but, by going public, you have just lost a few points in my esteem -- aren't you men enough to stand up and be counted?
State of the Art or better still, state of the farce!
Ma hemmx flus! So one has to just lump it!
The administration should be ashamed to treat our officers in this way.
A quick click to any of the stories that appeared on this site a couple of days ago will show a myriad of comments calling the authorities and the police toothless, while others said that the boy scouts would have handled the situation better.
How ironic and how quickly does the public's opinion change...
If Malta's image was hurt by a few skirmishes, how worse would it have been if tear gas was used and a few heads split open?
You would probably have been the first one to criticize the violent retaliation.
Strikes of this sort, thank God, are rare in Malta and it comes to no surprise that adequate refreshments were not served across the board and this must serve as a lesson hopefully not to be needed in the future.
Thank you Police Force and we are indeed sorry for you having to put up with the bad behaviour of those thugs, the heat from the sun and the lack of refreshments. Maybe the Ministry should make compensation for those who had to buy liquid refreshments.
Your gentlemanly behaviour will not be forgotten.
Policemen are not cowboys but they are humans and one can't expect a human to spend hours trying to maintain order in a very hot ambient, without having some water to fight the heat.
It's about time Malta looks up to the Police Force, show them respect and treat them as our friends because after all, that's what they are.
The huge majority of the Police officers are very good people whose only intent is to help us and help to keep order in our country. This week they proved exactly whom they are and a big prosit and thank you go to John Rizzo and his officers.
how dare you speak in this tone. The police force have been heroic in controlling the situation without using any kind of violence and this is the way. The only way to fight violence is with peace and not with more violence. Their strategy was good, their check points well planned, their sacrifice admirable, their assitance invaluable. We got stuck in a blockade on the Strand and they turned up in 5 minutes and opened the street again. And for your information anyway who spends hours in the sun has right to sunblock. Goverment construction workers all get their sunblock yearly BY LAW!!
missek mort int fdik ix xemx halli naraw kontx titlob dak li talbu huma missek tisthi
Is it not about time that our police force is treated with dignity?
Offering them descent food is common sense. Supplying cool water should be part and parcel of health and safety requirements.
Whoever is responsible let the police force down as well as us citizens.
Could somebody in authority comment on this shortcoming please.
Thank you
Good job well done to all those constables, seargents and officers who worked so hard during these difficult four days.
Everything must be done to ensure that the Police work in a reasonably friendly environment and that they are adequately paid for their job.
How ironic that while our police force who were on duty were not even given decent refreshment, the strikers were enjoying a barbeque in St. james ditch! Hopefully, a lesson has been learnt here.
THANK YOU POLICE FORCE we are proud of you and those who critised you for not being more heavy handed now see the wisdom of the decision.
@Malta Times does anyone know what the 17 arrested ate in Jail?
It is not a major undertaking to arrange snacks and drinks to officers who are on duty especially when such duty involves something similar to what happened this week.
From other discussions with various officers, I feel that Police are not treated the way they should by the Ministry. Several of them complain, so it might be a good thing for the Minister to give our Police officers the respect and care they deserve. They don't have an easy job.
Suncream ??
You should ask the policemen at Marsamxett Harbour who were all sat in the shade doing nothing while we waited for hours in the sun.