Knife Crime And Violent Incidents On The Decline For 2021, Says Ministry Of Home Affairs
Knife crime and violent incidents are actually on the decline, Malta’s Home Affairs Ministry has revealed amid concerns over recent brawls and attacks in the country.
Statistics provided to Lovin Malta show that between January 2021 and July 2021 there had been 410 reports of knife crime and violent incidents. This is a decrease from 2020, which saw 467 such cases over the same period.
Meanwhile, the numbers recorded in 2018 and 2019 over the same period were 513 and 535 respectively. Unfortunately, statistics beyond 2018 have not been provided. The statistics also did not cover the months from August to December.
Knife crime and violent incidents have received a lot of media attention over the last few months with footage of attacks often uploaded to social media.
At the end of last week, a man was discovered in a pool of his own blood after being stabbed in Birkirkara. At the end of July, a 14-year-old was arrested over the alleged stabbing of a 21-year-old in Sliema.
In both cases, the assailants were granted bail.
Speaking to the newsroom, the Ministry said that the Malta Police has increased its presence around various localities through the extension of community policing.
“Over the past few months, various initiatives were undertaken to strengthen the resources of RIU officers who are called on-site as first-responders, together with the district police.” said the Ministry.
These include the launch of a new fleet of vehicles and bodycams which help the police provide better services.
However, one can’t help but think whether knife crime and violent incidents have decreased due to the several lockdowns the island has had to face because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
On the whole, there has been a drop in crime over the COVID-19 pandemic. It remains to be seen whether the figures will spike once Malta finally returns to normality.
What do you think of the statistics?