In a rare show of unity, Parliament recently unanimously condemned any form of violence on public officials, focusing their remarks specifically on violence against police officers. Opposition home affairs spokesman Jason Azzopardi described the recent spate of violence against police officers as despicable.
He wished to pass a clear message categorically condemning those who perpetrated such acts against these “unsung heroes of our society”.
Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Abela – joined by the Acting Speaker – fully endorsed these sentiments and appealed to the courts to use the full force of the law against anybody who harmed members of the police force.
There can be little doubt that there are some extremely brave policemen and women. Many are daily exposed to threats or assaults by members of the public. They are the front line in Paceville and elsewhere where criminals and others, often inebriated and aggressive, behave violently against members of the forces of law and order.
Most members of the public would therefore have no hesitation in endorsing what was said by our MPs. For the most part, our policemen on the beat do their duty, fearlessly and conscientiously – though there is a not insignificant number who act in an overzealous and needlessly aggressive and officious manner.
Most of the problems in the Malta police force stem from poor leadership. The recent cases involving former police commissioner Ray Zammit and his son, Inspector Daniel Zammit, and their involvement with the infamous Mark Gaffarena, and other such cases, undermine confidence in police leadership.
They remind us that our policemen and women are brave but badly led. One recalls the expression used about the British infantry during World War I that they were “lions led by donkeys”.
Poor leadership has been the Achilles heel of the Malta police force for the past 30 or more years. But the last two years have thrown the quality of leadership of the police into even sharper relief and it has been found wanting.
The fault for this must lie directly at the feet of politicians who selected police commissioner(s), deputy commissioners and assistant commissioners based overwhelmingly on their political allegiance, not on the quality and experience of the individuals concerned.
The officer corps of the police force is riddled with cliques. This undermines the chain of command.
It is also grossly over-ranked. The joke that the Malta police force has more deputy commissioners than the much larger Metropolitan police force in London is worth repeating.
Such rank inflation does not add to efficiency and bears all the hallmarks of what happens in banana republics.
The real test of leadership is what is the impact on the courageous, hard-working policemen and women at the bottom of the heap. There are some good officers in the force but they are handicapped by poor man-management and an intrinsically weak organisation.
It is understood that “a study and implementation of a reorganisation process on different levels of the police corps” was set in train by the government over a year ago. It is doubtful whether this will go far enough. A radical shake-up is urgently required. However, for this to succeed there must be the political will – by both major political parties – to make it happen in a non-partisan manner.
The operational effectiveness of the police force is derived from a combination of factors, of which the most important are good leadership and brave policemen and women to confront lawlessness and criminality. We have the latter but not yet evidence of the former.