Following five months of intensive on-the-job training, 135 new recruits yesterday joined the Police Force after taking part in a passing-out parade that marked their promotion to police constables in the presence of Justice Minister Tonio Borg and Police Commissioner John Rizzo.

Addressing the recruits, Mr Rizzo congratulated them on their big day, welcomed them into the force and urged them to be there for citizens when they were in need. He said the recruits went through an intensive course in various aspects of policing, including courses on the laws of Malta, investigation, education, ethics, customer care, discipline and a huge number of other subjects.

He said the aim of these courses

was to increase the Police force’s

professionalism and efficiency and this was why the Police force, for the first time, would be introducing monthly training courses for policemen and women of all ranks.

He said the police officers took an oath to be loyal to the citizens of Malta and be there when they were in need. He said the police were the “protectors of victims of crime” and he urged them to use their powers properly.

Mr Rizzo said the force was facing a number of challenges and it had to change in order to meet and overcome them. He said Malta’s European Union membership and ratification of the Schengen agreement laid a heavier burden on the Malta Police force. As a result of the changes ratification brought about, the Maltese Police force was also updating itself with the introduction of computerised systems to take over the manual procedures of the past.

This was the 27th course organised by the Police Academy since it was set up in 1988. The last course began in October last year.

On his part, Dr Borg said the police constables were the first contact citizens would have when in crisis, the first people who people turned to for help. He said the police had more powers than the President and the Prime Minister or any minister. They should use these powers properly and responsibly. He said the career they chose was not an easy one, and then turned to their relatives present for the ceremony and urged them to support them throughout their career.

New Police Constable Kurt Underwood won the Mark Farrugia award as the most outstanding recruit in the 135-strong group.