Extra police officers will be deployed in Paceville from next week, government sources said yesterday.
Although the Government is playing down a recent security warning from the US State Department, the police have been instructed to beef up their presence in the entertainment area, especially at night.
A plan has already been drawn up and officers have been identified
“The police are making the necessary arrangements to deploy some 15 to 20 extra officers in the area to make sure that the interests of both residents and the business community are safeguarded,” the sources said.
“A plan has already been drawn up by the police and officers have already been identified. Security in the area, especially during the early hours of the morning, will be increased drastically as from the coming week.”
Times of Malta last week reported that the US Government advised would-be American visitors to Malta to be wary while in Paceville due to “racially motivated” violence and “poor crowd control”.
The warning also reiterated a travel warning issued by the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth office stating pick-pocket thefts have increased on bus routes serving the Sliema and St Julian’s areas since May.
The US Embassy has not given any details as to what led the State Department to issue such a warning about Malta, which is still in force.
On the other hand, the Home Affairs Ministry played down the warning yesterday, pointing out that “the report mentioned is 10 months old”.
Admitting security in Paceville has always been a challenge, the ministry confirmed that this would be tightened in the coming days.
“The Malta Tourism Authority, the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association and the police are currently collaborating to increase police presence in Paceville in order to achieve more efficient enforcement,” a ministry spokesman told this newspaper.
“There is an ongoing process to establish a proactive security programme for Paceville and in the near future it should render the desired results.”
The lack of security has been highlighted by the Opposition’s spokesman for home affairs, Jason Azzopardi, who said police transfers following the election meant fewer officers were manning the St Julian’s police station and this effectively led to a lack of police presence in Paceville.
However, the ministry spokesman denied this connection, stating that the presence of police in the entertainment area does not rely on the workforce in St Julian’s station “but depends also on the added workforce consisting of police members who work in district stations and are being assigned to Paceville”.
The area is at now its busiest time with thousands of visitors, particular foreign students, thronging its bars.