Children loitering in the streets when they should be at school remains a problem in Cospicua, according to a survey.
Residents believe this is more common in certain parts of Cospicua than in others, and the age of the children varies from mere toddlers up to teenagers.
Their mothers would normally be at homes of friends while their children roam the streets unsupervised - at times committing acts of vandalism in public places.
This was one of the issues highlighted in the Needs Assessment Survey in Cospicua, carried out by the University of Malta Sociology Department. The survey aimed to underline the problems people living in Cospicua faced, as well as elicit solutions from residents.
More than 300 residents were interviewed for the survey, which revealed their three main issues of concern were: the consumption and/or trafficking of drugs (17 per cent); children neglected by their parents and left loitering on the streets (14 per cent); and theft from vehicles, particularly stereos and petrol (12 per cent).
The results were recently announced during an animated public meeting attended by a number of earnest residents, heads of Cospicua schools, teachers and community priests. Just one member of the local council was present. The others were engaged in a council meeting.
Several teachers present commented on the frequency of truancy at their schools. When approached, parents of children missing school often cited reasons such as 'I overslept', or 'I did not have enough money to buy him/her lunch'.
On occasions, parents claimed they were not sending their children to school because they did not want them to be corrected if they behaved in an unruly manner.
Cospicua headteachers often cooperated with the parish priest who paid visits to the families to encourage parents to send children to school on a regular basis.
Cospicua parish priest Joe Mifsud, who was present for the meeting, said for the locality must be freed from political division if it is to move on.
"So far, we have always prioritised political parties over our locality, and over the years this has held us back. Each one of us has to start being responsible for the place we live in. We cannot keep on passing the buck. This feeling of lethargy is what generates poverty," he said.
Sociologist Jos Ann Cutajar, who administered the survey, said the results should help residents prioritise their problems, and decide who would tackle the problems in a set timeframe.
"We cannot keep living in the past when Cospicua was a pleasant place to live in - we have to accept it has problems," she said.
The survey brought to light the fact that most residents were not aware of several facilities available in their city. A number of participants were, for example, not aware of the public library (15.2 per cent).
"This is quite worrying for me when one takes into consideration the high illiteracy rate prevalent in the Three Cities," Dr Cutajar said.
Other respondents were unaware of the availability of sports facilities in the area, including the multipurpose Cottonera Sports Complex.
Against all preconceptions, the majority of Cospicua residents - 67 per cent - claimed to feel safe living in the city.
"This is attested by crime figures provided by CMRU (police communications unit) that on the whole, petty theft is the most common type of crime in this area," she added.
Ironically, the area where people felt least safe was the one in the immediate vicinity of the police station, referred to as Ta' Fuq San Pawl, the survey showed.
Several residents commented on the importance of more police presence and the need for more cooperation between the force and the community.
When asked whether Cospicua required some kind of industry, the majority of respondents (84.9 per cent) said yes.
Almost a third of respondents expressed a desire to attract more tourists to the area, particularly as at the moment a number of 'unknown' historical attractions are being renovated with this aim in mind.
Cospicua's main problems
• Rubbish scattered around in the streets.
• Empty, neglected houses.
• Dogs fouling in public places.
• Narrow stair streets which contribute to limited mobility for the elderly and lead to difficulties in the provision of services (such as rubbish collectors, white goods deliverymen).
• The number of adolescents and children running around the streets unsupervised and committing vandalism.
• Sound pollution caused by noisy cars and neighbours.
• Stray cats and left-over cat food, which attracts rats and pigeons.