I have lived in Żejtun these past seven years and, although it has its problems, I can say that everyone here keeps a close eye on things.

Neighbours will question callers to our home and we, in turn, keep a lookout for them.

My friends from the UK love coming here because, come day or night, they may walk the streets, knowing that if they miss their path in the maze of alleyways there is always someone nearby to help navigate them back home.

We call Żejtun Ambridge: “An everyday story of country folk.”

It seems to me that the policing resource we have here in the south could be redeployed temporarily to areas like Sliema and St Julian’s where policing is stretched beyond breaking point.

After all, there is little to do here as we have, in effect, a powerful but intuitive Neighbourhood Watch scheme that self regulates criminal behaviour.

Not so, it seems, further north and I fear that if matters deteriorate much further, then Malta’s good name as a tourist and investment destination will be tarnished. Possibly beyond repair.

I hope police resources can be better deployed in the weeks ahead in the sure knowledge that the people of the south will rally to the cause and simply reinforce their own self-policing efforts whenever the police are needed to patrol other areas where lawlessness and criminality threaten the lives and mental health of our compatriots.