A consultant to the government has called for efforts to be made to reverse a brain drain from the police, which is depleting the force of the high-calibre officers needed to fill its top posts.

Savour Formosa, a consultant on crime who is helping the Home Affairs Ministry prepare a long-term strategy for the police, says many officers with the right credentials for high-ranking positions are retiring early because of a regulation that allows them to leave on pension after 25 years of service.

“Unless this mechanism is tweaked to allow exceptions on the basis of a performance appraisal under which officers at the peak of their careers will be financially rewarded for remaining in the force, this brain drain will persist,” Prof. Formosa, who recently carried out a survey of police officers, told The Sunday Times of Malta in an interview.

The top-down decision-making process inherited from colonial times makes no sense in this day and age

The criminologist is well aware, however, that such a proposal would very likely stir a hornet’s nest within the force.

His comments come in the wake of the appointment of the fifth police commissioner in three years, Laurence Cutajar, following a series of resignations. The appointment has been heavily criticised by the Nationalist Party, which has questioned Mr Cutajar’s qualifications for the job.

Asked for his views about this turbulent period since 2013, Prof. Formosa said both extremes were wrong: “It is neither healthy to have a long-serving commissioner nor a revolving door of chiefs.”

Criminologist and government consultant Saviour Formosa is proposing that officers at the peak of their careers be financially rewarded for remaining in the force, and that all administrative duties be farmed out to civilian staff to put more officers on the ground.

He reiterated his objection to appointing a commissioner by a two-thirds parliamentary majority, as the Opposition has suggested, saying this would open a can of worms.

“What would happen if it transpired that the commissioner was a rogue and the Opposition voted against his removal? Moreover, such a model would have to be applied to the armed forces as well,” he said.

Prof. Formosa recently carried out a survey to gauge the opinions of all police officers in preparation for the drawing up of the long-term strategy for the force.

One major measure intended to reform the police is already being implemented: the appointment of a CEO to handle administrative matters, thus allowing the commissioner to focus exclusively on policing. A total of 19 candidates have applied for the job and the selection process is underway.

Commending this move, Prof. Formosa said it must be followed up by another decision: to farm out all administrative duties, such as human resources and project management, to civilian staff. The aim would be to have more officers on the ground rather than confined to an office.

On the other hand, the force is short of experts in certain areas so it must be open to the idea of engaging civilians when necessary, he said.

He appealed to police officers to view this proposal with an open mind as in certain quarters, he said, the prevailing mentality was to look down on anybody who was not part of the force.

Meanwhile, substantial amendments to the Police Act are in the pipeline with the aim of improving governance in what Prof. Formosa calls the “outdated hierarchical structure” of the force which is “stifled by bureaucracy”.

“The survey confirmed that the top-down decision-making process inherited from colonial times makes no sense in this day and age.”

It seems that in certain cases, it is not worth filing a report, which is a problem

While acknowledging that the police are a disciplined force, he pointed out that even the armed forces have a greater degree of freedom. In certain circumstances their members are allowed to take decisions on the spot, such as during a rescue operation, rather than wait for approval from above.

Even when it came to handling a simple traffic collision, the police were not allowed any degree of flexibility, for fear of facing a backlash from their superiors, said Prof. Formosa.

“Unfortunately, this has become the norm, while at the same time nobody from the top ranks seems to shoulder responsibility if things go wrong.”

Some of the survey results were expected. Officers spoke of the need to modernise the force and have better resources. But there were also some surprises. A significant number of policemen and women admitted to being reluctant to report minor contraventions or petty offences, not only due to the red tape involved but also because they risked an internal backlash, he said.

“It seems that in certain cases, it is not worth filing a report, which is a problem.”

He attributed this phenomenon partly to the training regime, with some officers not being well-versed in certain aspects of the law and consequently feeling uncomfortable when handling certain situations.

“Why is it that some recruits receive six months training, while others receive less?”

He expressed hope that this situation would be rectified as part of the ongoing police academy reform.

Members of the force needed to keep themselves more abreast of new regulations, laws and social changes, he said. Police officers had to contend with some crafty individuals so it was crucial that the force made the best use of the resources at its disposal.

“We need a skills audit in order to maximise the existing human resources and assign certain officers to special branches while allowing those who excel in community policing to be the force’s front line with the people.”

The survey also highlighted the need to have better counselling for officers who handle certain delicate situations.

“A macho mentality still prevails. Nobody expects to see an officer get emotional when confronted by a suicide or murder, as he may be perceived as unfit for service.”

Repeated exposure to certain situations may have a lasting psychological effect on the individual, and this would ultimately affect officers in the course of their duties, Prof. Formosa said.

He is recommending the setting up of a system whereby acute cases would be referred for specialised help.