New pressure group strives to make Paceville safer

Members of the pressure group set up to make Paceville safer are working on proposals to address problems plaguing the entertainment hub that is “rife with violent incidents, alcohol and drug abuse”.

The proposals are being drawn up following consultation with representatives of residents, language schools, parents and entertainment establishments. Once concluded they would be sent to the authorities, said lawyer Anthony Farrugia who spearheaded the setting up of the Group Acting For A Safe Paceville, GASP.

“We are not going to waste any time,” he said, adding that the group planned to meet twice a week to get the proposals moving.

GASP issued its mission statement yesterday in which it called for increased police presence in Paceville and more resources to be injected into the police force that is struggling to cope with the demanding locality.

It called on the government to take immediate short-term action to find a solution before it was too late.

“There can be no excuse in a modern civilised society... for such lawlessness to persist... Each day lost in futile contemplation means another blow, or worse, for some son or daughter of our fellow Maltese or, no less importantly, non-Maltese... Persistent inaction is not an option,” the group said, adding the authorities should be held accountable for their inaction.

The group said it received many complaints about lack of police control. The police force is “unable to effectively deal with the extraordinary intense policing requirements of the area on account of it being demoralised, poorly equipped and without trained personnel in adequate numbers”.

There were also accounts of police cars not being able to be used as they ran out of fuel due to the lack of resources.

These points were echoed by Labour Party home affairs spokesman Michael Falzon during a press conference on Thursday, just a few hours after an 18-year-old man was stabbed in Paceville following a fight.

Dr Falzon said police officers stationed in Paceville were not trained to deal with the area’s specific needs. He too called for more police presence to serve as a deterrent and help residents and businesses feel safer.

Over the past few weeks, the lack of police presence in Paceville has been a source of debate. Dr Farrugia set up the pressure group to confront the “lawlessness in Paceville” after his son was attacked by six thugs on June 20.

Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici condemned the incident and defended the police, insisting their presence in Paceville was always stepped up ahead of summer while trying to strike a balance so as not to become a “police state”.

In its mission statement, GASP said “it would be shameful for anyone to use the term ‘police state’ in this context (of having stronger police presence in Paceville)”.

“We are not trying to reinvent the wheel... We are insisting on a police presence on the level that exists all over the civilised world in centres of entertainment... There is urgent need of a properly-equipped police presence, in adequate numbers, highly visible, effective, trained and authoritative,” the group said.

A spokesman for the ministry said police presence in Paceville already increased last week and a further surge would be taking place this weekend. “The police force is committed to continue taking the necessary steps to uphold the law and maintain order in the area,” he said.

The group is so far made up of Dr Farrugia, Theresa Cremona, Fr Charles Cini, Peter Paul Zammit (a former police superintendent), Alfred Mallia Milanes, Ian Refalo (a psychotherapist), Marlene Seychell and Alfred Cremona.