Cospicua residents would like to see more police presence in the neighbourhood as research indicates a crime rate exceeding the national average.
Asked which crimes occurred mostly in their neighbourhoods, 17 per cent of Cospicua residents said it was drugs, 14 per cent mentioned neglected children and 12 per cent indicated theft from cars, explained Josann Cutajar as she outlined the findings of her research.
Dr Cutajar, a lecturer in the University's Department of Sociology, spoke during a national criminology conference organised by the Malta Criminology Association.
Her research looked into the crime situation in Cospicua and included the perception of residents (6.3 per cent of households participated). The findings will be compiled into a report she plans to hand to policymakers to address the situation in the locality.
Dr Cutajar pointed out that research had shown there was a link between poverty risk and crime. In the case of Cospicua, a little under 12 per cent of the population were dependent on social benefits and, according to 2005 data, some 15 per cent of the people were illiterate compared to the 7.2 per cent national average.
She questioned whether there was some form of formula through which housing authorities decided where to place social cases.
"People living in Cospicua believe there is some form of social dumping going on and that this is affecting the character of the area," Dr Cutajar said in her passionate presentation.
"If we don't pay attention to the situation (in Cospicua) there will be a silent bomb in the future," she added.
Quoting 2009 research by criminologist Saviour Formosa, she said Cospicua had a 33 per cent crime rate compared to the 30 per cent national level. The rate is the total number of crimes committed in the area as a percentage of population.
Yet, Paceville, St Paul's Bay and Sliema still remained the hotspots where crime occurred mostly.
In the case of Cospicua, however, Dr Formosa's statistics showed the number of assaults stood at 26 per cent, compared to the 18 per cent national level. Asked in Dr Cutajar's study what they believed should be done to improve the situation, 42 per cent of Cospicua residents said they wanted more police presence in terms of patrol cars and foot patrols, 17 per cent called for more security cameras and 14 per cent demanded better dialogue with the police.
About 33 per cent of respondents felt the police "did something" to reduce crime, 18 per cent said they "did a lot", 26 per cent believed they "did nothing" and the rest did now know.
While residents in the locality were aware there was crime going on around them, the majority, 67 per cent, felt safe living there. "This is possibly due to the strong sense of community where people look out for one another," Dr Cutajar said.
The social problems in Cospicua were also touched upon by Labour MP Michael Falzon who recalled an episode when he carried out house visits in the area known as Verdala.
When he walked into the area he came across a drug dealer and the white-chalk body outline from a murder that had taken place. He then knocked on one of the doors of the run-down area where an illiterate woman opened and asked him to read a note. It turned out to be from the drug rehabilitation programme that her son attended, telling her she could see her son in Easter.