Major changes are required in the Police Act to create a framework that foresees the improvement, progress and innovation of the force and establish a working environment that promotes assertiveness, equal opportunities and justice, the Malta Police Association said.

In a position paper, the association said that the current legislative framework did not allow for any executive decisions to be taken by any person other than the Commissioner of Police.

It said it was imperative to distinguish between whether the CEO was competent to issue direct orders to police officers or to the administrative staff and thus be vested with effective executive leadership of the force, or whether his responsibility and position was that of an advisory role to the COP.

The MPA also proposed that the main sections within the force and districts should be established by law together with its management structures.

It also called for the introduction of the possibility to engage reserve officers at any rank.

It proposed controls on the transfer of personnel and said that some criteria in this regard should be established and published and called for the powers and functions of the Police Board to be further developed.

On discipline, the MPS proposed that disciplinary sittings should to be chaired by a legal person independent from the force and who would decide whether the defaulter had truly committed the transgression he was being imputed with and in the case of guilt what the befitting punishment according to law should be.

The amendments proposed also include the new set up as to how prosecutions should be carried out. The police, it said, should not be responsible for the prosecution of offences or this should at least performed by a specialised unit within the force.

The proposals in full can be read in the pdf link below.