It seems that criminals “are continuing with their activity” without fear, judging by the amount of reports of violent robberies that have surfaced over the past days, Malta Labour Party spokesman on internal affairs Gavin Gulia said yesterday.

The police are finding great difficulty to meet with the exigencies of the service the corps provides because “a record number of officers have left or are leaving” the force before completing their 25 years of service, Dr Gulia said.

This forced the government to issue two calls for the recruitment of new officers within a space of a few weeks and is preparing to issue another call, he added.

The lack of resources was also evident because police officers are being asked to provide security services at HSBC Bank branches on their days off. Officers calling in on sick leave are being investigated because they are not being believed, Dr Gulia added.

Over the past two years the police corps has lost “hundreds of years of experience” while the new recruits need more time to reach their maturity within their job. This was happening at a time when organised crime was becoming more sophisticated and Malta’s membership in the Schengen zone required more security.

Throughout all this, policemen’s salaries had not been upgraded, apart from the bonuses and allowances they are being given, he said.