The Archbishop, Mgr Paul Cremona OP, yesterday hailed members of the Police force for their hard work and dedication, saying that Maltese society would not feel safe without them.
Speaking at the end of a visit to the Police Headquarters in Floriana, Archbishop Cremona joked with the police that after what he had heard about the force and the work they did, he was seriously considering applying for the job.
On a more serious note, the Archbishop thanked the police for their service. “Our society is based on the protection of citizens who want to live in peace and feel secure. This is why, on behalf of the Maltese population, I thank you for your hard work and dedication,” he said.
Archbishop Cremona walked out of the Archbishop’s Curia just across the road at 10 sharp, got into his car, and was driven 50 metres down the road to the Police Depot. He was welcomed by Police Commissioner John Rizzo, Justice Minister Tonio Borg, Parliamentary Secretary Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici and a number of Assistant Commissioners.
The Archbishop stopped for a few minutes of prayer at the foot of a monument in memory of those police officers who died while on duty and continued his prayers at a chapel inside the depot.
Mgr Cremona was then escorted down to the Criminal Investigation Department yard where he was shown the various vehicles used by the several sections within the force, including the Mobile Squad, the Traffic Police, the Mounted Police, the 4x4 vehicles of the Administrative Law Enforcement Unit as well as police motorcyclists. One of the trained drugs sniffer dogs barked at the Archbishop as he drew closer.
The Archbishop took an interest, asking questions about how the police performed their duties as he toured practically all the offices of the Vice Squad, the Economic Crimes Unit, the Drug Squad and several other sections of the Police Force.
At one point, while he was listening to a semi-lecture on forensic procedures, the Archbishop was told: “One of the fundamental principles of forensics is that every contact leaves a trace… thank you for keeping contact with us… it will surely leave its trace.” The Archbishop smiled.
Later he met a group of police officers and prayed for the Lord to grant them courage and blessed them and their families.
“In your work you have to strike a balance between work and the Christian element. I know it is very difficult but you should always hope that the person you are dealing with, who might have done something wrong and who is going through a rough patch in his life, will turn over a new leaf and change his way of life. This is putting your faith into practice through your duties,” he told them.