A spike in reported crime caused by the heavy presence of tourists in the summer meant that the country has not matched the record fall in the crime rate seen last year, when the figures fell every month.

Justice and Home Affairs Minister Carm Mifsud Bonnici explained in parliament this evening that when compared to 2007 and 2008, the crime rate this year dropped by between 8% and 15%.

The crime rate continued to go down in the first three months of this year, by 11%, 8% and 4.5%, but there was an increase during the summer, the highest being 14% in July.

This, Dr Mifsud Bonnici said, was due to crimes generated by the heavy presence of tourists. At the same time, there had been a decline in aggravated theft. Compared to five years ago, the crime rate was down 28.8%.

Dr Mifsud Bonnici gave figures for the various sections of the police force, pointing out, among others, that the unit against car theft inspected 4,548 vehicles and 451 engines. The Vice Squad investigated 1,428 cases and arraigned 257 persons in 246 new cases.

The Administrative Law Enforcement Unit (ALE) had 2,547 new cases, apart from those investigated by the Mobile Squad.

He said the police were given 34 new cars and four Land Rovers over the past months. Equipment acquisitions also included a new fingerprint matching machine and a new DNA database.

Some 230 recruits had joined the force and it was hoped that work would soon start on new premises for the Police Academy at Ta’ Kandja.