One of Malta’s leading police unions has proposed CCTV surveillance in Sliema to help address safety concerns in the locality, insisting that 24/7 patrols do not offer the most efficient service to the public at large. 

“The Sliema coastline is 6km long, it is very difficult for a small group of police to cover this distance and be in every place at all times, especially when the human resources of the police are in an unacceptable state and when police are already on forced overtime,” the Police Officers Union (GWU) said. 

Instead, the POU called for cooperation between the government, local council, Transport Malta and LESA to ensure that CCTV directly connected to the police control room is set up in Sliema and other similar localities.

“In addition to ensuring police eyes on the whole area, the system also ensures a faster response time in emergency situations,” it added.

“This system will not only offer more security to the general public but will allow the few remaining district police officers to continue to serve the whole community and not put more resources than they can afford on a particular area to the detriment of others.”

“This is a system that could eventually be extended to other locations in the country.”

The statement comes amid safety concerns in the locality and Malta at large. Recently, PN MP Graham Bencini called for increased patrols following the murder of Paulina Dembska, an attack on a jogger and a bottle being thrown at the Sliema Mayor. 

It remains to be seen whether any long-term action will be taken by authorities, with officers already complaining about resource problems while dealing with religious feasts.

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