The seaside towns of Sliema and St Julian’s have probably the largest proportion of elderly residents. It is fair to say as a generalisation that they also have some of the best appointed homes with some very well-off people living in them.
It is therefore inevitable that thieves and burglars are attracted to these two localities where they think they can prey on affluent, elderly, vulnerable people. Add to this potent mix the inclusion in St Julian’s of Paceville, the crime hot-spot of Malta, and the presence of large numbers of tourists enjoying the bars, restaurants and hotels in the area, and one is left with a perfect storm of thefts, pick-pocketing, shoplifting and burglary.
The latest crime statistics tend to confirm this. Cases of theft from homes in Sliema for the first six months have almost equalled the number committed last year. But these are still lower than those committed in St Julian’s and over the period between January 2012 and June this year St Julian’s outstripped Sliema in theft cases of all kinds 5,500 to 1,900. For this half year, St Julian’s had 945 reported thefts to Sliema’s 302. Pick-pocketing was the most reported crime in St Julian’s this year with 343 cases to Sliema’s 128.
The statistics only provide a snapshot of what is happening. But as criminologist Saviour Formosa cautioned: “Although at face value it does seem as though theft in Sliema… is set to increase this year… it is not unheard of to have periods during which criminal activity experiences a lull.”
Recent reports could also lead to residents being more sensitive to potential criminal activity.
The fevered atmosphere in Sliema has been given an added twist with reports of houses or apartments being targeted by thieves using criminal codes to identify vulnerable homes and to help other burglars to know which ones to target. The symbols can indicate whether a particular house has already been burgled or if it is worth targeting.
The police and local councils have moved commendably quickly to try and allay concerns. The police are looking into the reports of criminal symbols and patrols in Sliema and St Julian’s are being stepped up. The Home Affairs Minister and Acting Police Commissioner are holding public consultation meetings with the local councils.
The latter has rightly pointed out that individuals and householders also have a responsibility to try to prevent crime. Thefts are often opportunist incidents and happen because householders have not taken the necessary precautions. Houses and apartments should therefore be securely locked. Pick-pocketing, mugging and cases of snatch-and-run can be prevented by taking the most elementary steps to avoid crowded areas and to keep bags or wallets tightly secured.
Although no mention has been made of it, the possibility of communities setting up their own Neighbourhood Watch schemes should also be considered. These lend themselves well to the Sliema and St Julian’s areas where most people know each other and where strangers behaving suspiciously stand out.
It should only take the minimum of organisation in conjunction with the police to get local Neighbourhood Watch schemes up and running.
We like to present Malta as a place that is secure and where crime is low. In general, this is not an inaccurate picture. But Sliema and St Julian’s present a darker side – a blemish that needs to be tackled by a combination of proactive police action and individual citizens’ awareness, a sense of responsibility and common sense action to prevent crime.