Council studying systems to make Sliema streets safer

Security along the roads in Sliema is being beefed up after the recent muggings that led to the death of an 80-year-old woman in Dingli Street, according to the local council.

Earlier this month, the town was the scene of two muggings in under two hours. One left Rose Garroni, 80, clutching to the handle of her handbag, lying unconscious in a pool of blood on the doorstep of her apartment.

Since then, the police were asked to be more visible in the area and the council was looking into the possibility of installing mobile CCTV cameras to keep an eye on what was going on, council deputy mayor Cyrus Engerer said when contacted.

Just days before Mrs Garroni died, the council met to discuss heightening security in the seaside town, Mr Engerer said. During the meeting he proposed setting up a neighbourhood watch, whereby neighbours would keep a lookout for anything suspicious happening in the area, he said. However, some councillors, who had been in the previous council, argued such a system might not work because it was tried before in certain streets and failed.

The concept has not been completely discarded and the Sliema boy scouts even offered to help keep a lookout themselves.

Since the meeting, the police were asked to carry out more patrols, Mr Engerer said.

“These are taking place because yesterday I was walking through High Street and I saw a police officer walking there and then I went to Dingli Street and saw another one,” Mr Engerer said, pointing out that increased police presence could be felt in the area.

Discussing CCTV cameras, Mr Engerer said the council was looking into what the law said about data protection. The executive secretary had been asked to check out the details and would present them at a future meeting.

“The plan was to instal mobile CCTV cameras and have signs in all streets saying there are cameras in operation as these can also deter crime,” Mr Engerer said, pointing out the cameras could shift from one street to another every few weeks.

Mr Engerer will also be proposing celebrating European Neighbours’ Day, on May 11, where the council can help neighbours get to know each other better by holding a house party in every street.

This, he said, would increase the sense of community, which was lacking in many areas in Sliema, and create a sense of solidarity between neighbours to look out for each other.

“It is something small really but it may help to make Sliema safer,” Mr Engerer said.