Alternattiva Demokratika is concerned about the way Gozitan police stationed in Malta are being treated, even though there is a real need for them in Gozo.

AD chairperson Dr Harry Vassallo said: “These Gozitan police are being humiliated, and the behaviour of the Corps towards them shows a lack of sensitivity towards them and their families with the consequence that a number of them are having family problems. A substantial number of them can easily be stationed in Gozo where, except for the police stations at Rabat and Mgarr, the other 15 stations are practically always closed. For those who really cannot find a place in Gozo one needs to be much more humane and arrange shifts that will allow them to spend as much time as possible with their families when they are not at work.”

At present there are 76 Gozitans working in the Police Corps in Malta including a major, eight sergeants and 57 constables.

Dr Vassallo added: “Some of them have been stationed in Malta for more than 12 years. The times of their shifts are such that they are constrained to sleep in Malta, since it makes no sense that in the few hours between one shift and another, and after subtracting the time of travelling to and from Gozo, one ends up staying at home for just a couple of hours. Sometimes, others have to do two trips on the same day as in the morning they work at the Maltese Courts and in the evening they work at a station or a section. Apart from this, due to the fact that from one day to another they do not know where they will be on duty before five in the evening, they have to cross over to Malta with their own car. The expense of accommodation in Malta and frequent use of their car are creating unnecessary financial burdens that could be much less with more reasonable and sensitive planning by those who are running the Corps.”