Police denied a claim, made by the Labour Party, that officers felt as though they were being punished when they were stationed in Paceville.
The claim “is totally unfounded”, a spokesman said, insisting that police presence in the entertainment hub “has always been effective”.
Labour Party home affairs spokesman Michael Falzon said last week it was a known fact that officers perceived being detailed to work in Paceville as a punishment. “This should change and the officers need to be motivated,” he had told a press conference on Thursday just hours after an 18-year-old man was stabbed during a fight in Paceville.
Dr Falzon said police officers stationed in Paceville were not trained to deal with the area’s pecific needs. He called for more police presence to serve as a deterrent and help residents and businesses feel safer.
His calls were echoed in a mission statement issued the following day by the Group Acting For A Safe Paceville, GASP, a pressure group set up to make Paceville safer.
Reacting to this, the police said: “Police presence in the streets of Paceville has always been effective, both in preventive measures implemented and action taken when the police intervention was called for... One has to appreciate that not all situations are similar and police officers performing duty at Paceville try to tackle every situation they encounter as best as possible.”
In the mission statement, GASP said it received many complaints about lack of police control. The police force is “unable to effectively deal with the extraordinary intense policing requirements of the area on account of it being demoralised, poorly equipped and without trained personnel in adequate numbers”.
The group, set up by lawyer Anthony Farrugia, is working on a set of proposals to address problems plaguing the entertainment hub that is “rife with violent incidents, alcohol and drug abuse”.
Dr Farrugia set up the pressure group to confront the “lawlessness in Paceville” after his son was attacked by six thugs on June 20.
Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici condemned the incident and defended the police saying their presence was on the increase.