When John Micallef retired from the Police Force five years ago, his sense of duty persisted and he soon found himself miles away in Colombia supporting children with disabilities.

John Micallef. Photo: Mark Zammit Cordina

“I spent 25 years – a lifetime – in the Police Force. When I retired I realised that once you’re a policeman, you’ll always be a policeman,” Mr Micallef – who was in Malta on his first visit here after moving to Colombia – told this newspaper.

The former Sergeant Major describes his time in the Police Force as a challenging, but good experience. He said the job was satisfying and the sense of duty kept them going.

“Police officers, especially those who risk their lives to fulfil their duty, are underpaid. The life of an officer is a hard one, but I’m proud to have served my country,” he said.

As an officer, Mr Micallef often had to think on his feet. He recalled how one day, he was in Ta’ Xbiex to buy some equipment together with scuba colleagues Charles Cutajar and Conrad Bajada.

“We saw plumes of smoke wafting out of a block of apartments. Parked right in front of the building there was a water bowser which we thought was part of the fire brigade.

“So we went over to see if we could be of any help, but we realised that there were no firefighters. We entered the building and evacuated the residents.”

But as soon as the three made it downstairs and out on the street with the rest of the residents, they heard someone calling out for their children.

The major part of officers are good people with a sense of duty who sometimes even sacrifice their time with their own family

“All it took was one look at each other. We sprinted upstairs and broke down the door. The pressure building up inside the apartment knocked us off our feet.”

The three crawled into “one big cloud of smoke”, each one taking a different route. The children were eventually found crouching behind some furniture.

Mr Micallef noted that officers did not brag about such experiences, and they usually put them behind them and moved on. However, there were particular incidents that left a lifelong impact on them.

John Micallef supports the Abrazar Foundation, based in Calarca, Quindio. Seen here during a fundraising activity. Photos provided by John Micallef

One such incident was an explosion in Paola that had killed a woman and her infant.

“Using our bare hands, we were looking for victims among the rubble. I saw what I thought was a doll. But as soon as I grabbed its arm, I went cold.

“I immediately let go, went up to a colleague of mine who was leading the rescue, and asked him to lift the infant.

“These incidents hit you hard and you never forget them.”

Appealing for compassion with police officers, Mr Micallef insisted that the major part of officers are “good people with a sense of duty who sometimes even sacrifice their time with their own family”.

Mr Micallef left for Colombia a couple of weeks after his retirement. There, he started supporting the Abrazar Foundation, based in Calarca, Quindio.

This philanthropic organisation supports children with a disability and their siblings, who are provided with health and education services among others.

The 56-year-old, who grew up surrounded by horses in Racecourse Street in Marsa, now spends his time at stables, where children with special needs interact with the animals.

“All I do is talk to the horses in Maltese, I don’t do any miracles,” he said, laughing.

Asked what inspired him to invest his time in voluntary work, Mr Micallef recalled a funeral service for his late uncle George. It was at this same service that he learnt that his humble relative was one of the biggest charity benefactors.

“That left an impact on me, and as a police officer who met several victims, I always wondered what I could do to help out. I wanted to find something that challenged me, and I realised that I had never carried out any work with children with a disability.

“I tried it out, and I love it,” Mr Micallef added, smiling.

sarah.carabott@timesofmalta.com