Claudia Calleja
Police insist their presence in Paceville is effective
The police insist officers are well equipped to deal with the demands of Paceville. Photo: Chris Sant Fournier
Police denied a claim, made by the Labour Party, that officers felt as though they were being punished when they were stationed in Paceville.
The claim “is totally unfounded”, a spokesman said, insisting that police presence in the entertainment hub “has always been effective”.
Labour Party home affairs spokesman Michael Falzon said last week it was a known fact that officers perceived being detailed to work in Paceville as a punishment. “This should change and the officers need to be motivated,” he had told a press conference on Thursday just hours after an 18-year-old man was stabbed during a fight in Paceville.
Dr Falzon said police officers stationed in Paceville were not trained to deal with the area’s pecific needs. He called for more police presence to serve as a deterrent and help residents and businesses feel safer.
His calls were echoed in a mission statement issued the following day by the Group Acting For A Safe Paceville, GASP, a pressure group set up to make Paceville safer.
Reacting to this, the police said: “Police presence in the streets of Paceville has always been effective, both in preventive measures implemented and action taken when the police intervention was called for... One has to appreciate that not all situations are similar and police officers performing duty at Paceville try to tackle every situation they encounter as best as possible.”
In the mission statement, GASP 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”.
The group, set up by lawyer Anthony Farrugia, is working on a set of proposals to address problems plaguing the entertainment hub that is “rife with violent incidents, alcohol and drug abuse”.
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 saying their presence was on the increase.
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23 Comments
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Mr Manwel Debattista
Aug 14th 2011, 14:41
Come on you lot you must be over-reacting.
Look only a few days ago The Times quoted the police saying, "Police presence in the streets of Paceville has always been effective, both in preventive measures implemented and action taken when the police intervention was called for." (9th August)
Now who are we to believe? Surely the two sides cannot be right!! Perhaps the only way one can know for sure what the situation is like is by actually going there and be in the thick of it.
Claire Busuttil
Aug 9th 2011, 21:01
I just pity the people living there!!...that should be a real nightmare.....fights/dirt/noises.....
Claire Busuttil
Aug 9th 2011, 20:55
effective biex jiehdu hsieb l ordni pubblika, jew biex jitantaw lit tfajliet??
Luke Stivala
Aug 10th 2011, 02:28
i suppose you have proof of this or is it something you heard at the hairdressers ???
John Micallef
Aug 9th 2011, 20:42
Mr Debattista, can you tell me how often you frequent paceville ? I work there every night and Paceville is very different from what you think ! 99 percent of the people just go there, enjoy themselves and go home. Yes there is always going to be problems but nothing more than any holy village festa will have !!!. Its strange also because where i work I see police monitoring done constantly both inside and outside the establishments and can the GASP group please tell me if you have contacted any bar owners or association to discuss your views with them ? I am sure your members dont frequent the area so please I suggest you discuss with the real people that work there !!!!!!!
Anthony Farrugia
Aug 10th 2011, 12:03
Yes of course the majority go to Paceville to enjoy themselves and go home. It's a small but dangerous minority that do the damage, and "enjoy" themselves by running amok without any fear of consequences. I assure you that G.A.S.P. has done it's homework and knows what goes on in Paceville, as do the many who are supporting our initiative. We want a Police presence that will preserve and improve Paceville as a Mecca of entertainment for our children and youths in general. Clubs/bars spend good money on security personnel precisely to ensure that bad elements are controlled, and at worst thrown out of their premises, so the problem does exist even in the opinion of the club/bar owners (the real people). The problem is then transferred to the streets which is where the Police are needed to take over, since trouble makers in the clubs do not automatically become angels once they are outside.
Mr Manwel Debattista
Aug 10th 2011, 13:49
Mr. Micallef I am in Paceville enough times to confirm what I wrote. If you work in Paceville and you don't see what the police, tourists, Maltese and the rest see than that is your problem.
With an attitude like yours Mr. Micallef, we will never control this jungle. Indeed you may even have an interest in taking the stand that you took. Now why would you want the situation to remain as it is?
John Micallef
Aug 10th 2011, 16:57
Dr Farrugia, your group seemed to make an impact. GASP has been proven successful and yesterday night there were a million policemen in paceville. Unfortunately, the police were more interested in the enforcement of doors being closed at 11pm and no sound heard outside then anything else. It seems that when certain police come to paceville all they are interested about is having a war against the bars. So paceville last night had no sound and all doors closed at 11pm while today on the newspaper there is an open air concert next sunday being promoted until 4am ! Enforcement has to be then done in all Malta not in paceville only ! can anybody tell me if the bars at the Hamrun feast last sunday close there doors at 11pm with no sound leakage? I admire your cause which I do agree is a reasonable and just cause but unfortunately the damage you have caused to the bar owners is ir-repairable !
Anthony Farrugia
Aug 11th 2011, 11:51
I am informed that an additional contingent of 20 Police has been detailed to Paceville, and your comments regarding closure of premises etc, have also been reported to us. As I am sure you are aware GASP has laid emphasis on security in Paceville. It also appears that an association of bar/club owners are taking action to safeguard their position at law, since it is an established fact that the Police can only intervene if the sound is audible from the outside. The Group is of the opinion that given that the first priority of security is achieved, there remains to achieve what is being termed a "holistic" approach for Paceville in the interest of all. It helps no one if any party reacts to a Police presence as a negative development. in the area. We must therefore now put pressure to ensure that such a Police presence, is of the quality required and serves the interest of public order and also the integrity of the entertainment industry within the law. In short we must co-exist and unite as allies for the common good and resist any temptation to take opposite stands, which serves only to divide.
John Micallef
Aug 11th 2011, 20:42
Mr Farrugia, I agree with all that you say but you must understand the difference between police keeping the public order and safety which i totally agree and support you in your cause, and unfair competition as i have mentioned in my previous comment. If you have some time I would suggest you speak to Philip of GRTU to make an immediate meeting with certain people which are directly involved in the nightlife industry in St Georges road so maybe both GASP and the bar owners can work together to achieve what you are saying. I know every owner in that street and I am sure all will be willing to help you with your cause. Please do this asap.
Anthony Farrugia
Aug 12th 2011, 07:42
Philip is an old friend and the second person to contact me when my son was attacked. We are actually talking, and will keep on talking in the interest of all concerned.....this I assure you.
Mr Manwel Debattista
Aug 9th 2011, 15:46
Reacting to this, the police said: “Police presence in the streets of Paceville has always been effective, both in preventive measures implemented and action taken when the police intervention was called for...
This is one big lie. What makes it more offensive is that it is coming from the police themselves.
Anthony Farrugia
Aug 9th 2011, 11:47
G.A.S.P. - Group Acting for a Safe Paceville, agrees that the Police detailed to Paceville indeed do their best to deal with situations as they arise. But their "best" is unfortunately not good enough on account of a universally known lack of trained personnel in the required numbers. During the week uniformed Police stationed at St.Julians are between 5 or 6 officers, on the week-end about 15 or max. 20 uniformed officers are detailed. These have to deal with all Policing requirements for St.Julians, Paceville, Swieqi and St.Andrews/Pembroke. Figures in the region of 35,000 descend on Paceville on the week-end, figures for the summer working week-days cannot amount to much less. It is unfortunate to say the least that the Authorities seem to be happy with this state of affairs. One would have expected rather an official recognition of this situation and a firm commitment to resolve the problem before more are harmed.
Mr Mark Demicoli
Aug 9th 2011, 11:33
This is a joke!!
"Police insist their presence in Paceville is effective" ????
You must be there to see with your eyes, I encounter at least 4-5 fights every weekend, police are just standing there next to burger king and intervene only after the fight is over and the victim is laying down on the ground, that's what happens. You almost never see the police going round the clubs, and when they do INCREDIBLY enough they don't smell cigarettes. Utter joke of the country, you can smell cigarettes from outside, the most useless law ever, never enforced, bouncers and even DJ's smoking and everyone can see them including the police. It gets natural to suspect there's some kind of agreement between the club owners and the police.......unfortunately police are not being police here
Anthony Farrugia
Aug 9th 2011, 11:54
The law needs to be upheld, whatever it is, however G.A.S.P. is giving priority to physical safety. Far more concerning is the rampant carrying of glasses and glass bottles in the streets. During a radio discussion on RTK last Saturday, it was revealed that only 82 were arraigned this year for carrying glass bottles/drinks in the streets, while 400+ for smoking inside clubs. A caller/bar owner during the programme actually said there is a space in Paceville known as "il-pjazza tal-hgieg".
Priorities!!!! .......but we need the means to maintain these first and foremost..
Mr Duncan Scerri
Aug 9th 2011, 11:30
"Effective"?? By which criteria do you measure that?
Mr Reginald Borg
Aug 9th 2011, 11:24
Min qed jikkontrolla l-abbuzi sesswali li jsiru gewwa Paceville fil-weekends?
Bernard Storace
Aug 9th 2011, 10:03
Introduce plain clothes or undercover officers who will be in a better position to react to a situation before it can escalate out of hand. While we're at it do what other major cities have done too......a bicycle squad......They are visible, mobile and can access places where a squad car cannot. Uniformed officers should still be seen to be around and they will be the ones called to a scene by plain clothes or bicycle squad officers to take control of a situation. Plain clothes officers can enter establishments incognito and see whether the drink and smoking laws are being observed and adhered to......this is not being a police state, this is control. Think about it minister!
Kristina Mifsud
Aug 9th 2011, 12:14
There are already police who wear plain clothes BUT they are only there about the drinking and smoking inside clubs. Unfortunately when there's a fight, they only go when it is over. If someone knows that there is a fight somewhere and you go and ask them they would tell you "Are you going to tell us what to do?" as if you are the one causing the trouble.
J. De Bono
Aug 9th 2011, 10:00
There definitely needs to be a increase in the number of officers in the area, though I do agree with them making a large difference and often do break up any brawls and keep the peace, its just not possible for a handful of officers to manage tens of thousands of youths and adults alike, I wont pretend to know anything about law enforcement but believe smaller groups spread out would help, maybe 2-3 in each corner of the area and you certainly need presence in both exiting directions of the town, i.e. Swieqi and the area near Wembley. Anyone living in these areas will tell you its chaos every night, with mostly foreign students screaming as they walk back to their residents, some even breaking car mirrors and more. Obviously this is just foreign students but they are certainly the majority during the summer months. Or better yet CCTV, install one on each corner have two persons watching on shifts and report anything back to offices to better response times, what ever the solution is it needs to be done the place is a mess, just last week I was speaking to a foreign colleague who was having dinner at Hugo’s and was interrupted twice by large brawls one of which was described as quite bloody.
Jeff Scicluna
Aug 9th 2011, 11:24
when i was beaten up in paceville by 3 people the police just stood there and watched till we stopped kicking each other in the face. after we calmed down they just arrested the others and told me to go to hospital to get myself checked out. is that how you break up a fight?
J. De Bono
Aug 9th 2011, 15:37
Jeff, I am not saying that all the officers do there jobs as everyone on this island knows that’s far from the truth, however Police presence is better then none even if its just for show it certainly helps to keep the peace. As the article above states the problem is motivation to do their jobs, but again I am not someone to pretend to know much about law enforcement. It would also be unfair to say none of the officers do their jobs when stationed in Paceville as i did in my time there see a few interesting chases and arrests. Maybe often was the wrong word in my initial sentence.
J. De Bono
Aug 9th 2011, 09:59
There definitely needs to be a increase in the number of officers in the area, though I do agree with them making a large difference and often do break up any brawls and keep the peace, its just not possible for a handful of officers to manage tens of thousands of youths and adults alike, I wont pretend to know anything about law enforcement but believe smaller groups spread out would help, maybe 2-3 in each corner of the area and you certainly need presence in both exiting directions of the town, i.e. Swieqi and the area near Wembley. Anyone living in these areas will tell you its chaos every night, with mostly foreign students screaming as they walk back to their residents, some even breaking car mirrors and more. Obviously this is just foreign students but they are certainly the majority during the summer months. Or better yet CCTV, install one on each corner have two persons watching on shifts and report anything back to offices to better response times, what ever the solution is it needs to be done the place is a mess, just last week I was speaking to a foreign colleague who was having dinner at Hugo’s and was interrupted twice by large brawls one of which was described as quite bloody.