Public safety in Swieqi is at an all-time low, according to local councillors, who are insisting a police station is the only antidote to the town’s growing crime problem.
“It’s just getting worse and worse, something has to be done. I am worried about residents’ safety,” said Swieqi mayor Noel Muscat.
Police sources said reports of break-ins, vandalism and violence had increased significantly since the spring, although the police did not officially reply to questions about the number of reports made by residents last month.
The sources highlighted foreign residents – “eastern Europeans” – as the main cause of increased crime in the town.
The Swieqi Civic Centre, earmarked to house the local police station, remains closed six months after former Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi inaugurated the site.
“We’re stuck in a mess of red tape. We sent several emails and have been in contact with the authorities on many occasions, but we’re in no man’s land,” said Mr Muscat.
The Transport and Infrastructure Ministry is responsible for handing over the keys for public buildings but Minister Joe Mizzi did not reply to questions sent by Times of Malta last month.
“The previous government had committed itself to opening a depot in the civic centre – they even allocated the space in the new building. This government doesn’t seem keen on helping us and we still haven’t got the keys to the centre,” Mr Muscat said.
The local council had a meeting with Police Commissioner Peter Paul Zammit and Home Affairs Minister Manuel Mallia last month to discuss a solution.
The council was even willing to purchase Segways for police to use in local patrols, Mr Muscat said.
Asked about the service offered by the St Julian’s police, Mr Muscat did not mince his words: “Frankly they can barely cope. We’re tired of being treated like second-class citizens in Swieqi.”
An analysis carried out by this newspaper found that police officers in St Julian’s had to deal with approximately three times as many cases of theft, vandalism and bodily harm than their colleagues in Birkirkara.
“The Paceville spillover is a recurrent problem. Drunks and delinquents damaging private property is a weekly occurrence,” Mr Muscat said.