Yet another incident has flared up in Paceville, which saw a young man being injured. Two youngsters, one of them only 16, have been charged, but this is not the point.

The point is that there are too few police officers to deal with the masses of people that go to the nightlife Mecca. It has been the same for years. It is normal to see a small line of policemen, stationed in Paceville Square – perhaps 15 in all. It’s just a thin line of untrained blue, to deal with tens of thousands (literally) of alcohol and (in some cases) drug-fuelled teenagers and youngsters.

The police do their best, but one would have to agree with Labour MP Michael Falzon, when he said the police are reactive, rather than pro-active. Granted, the police do organise some patrols; but what happens then? The already weak contingent of officers on duty is weakened even further.

It is hardly the police officers on duty who are at fault. While more recruits are being taken in, it is becoming clearer that the Police Corps does not have enough manpower. The Administrative Law Enforcement Unit complement and that of the Paceville weekend detail are examples enough. One does not expect commando-style police forces out on the beat in Paceville, but a look at the system in Amsterdam could offer some guidance. There, teams of five officers – in a more casual uniform – patrol the streets.

They are friendly, they join in conversations, and they constantly do the rounds, always checking in on walkie-talkie radios. At the slightest hint of trouble, their training kicks in. First they try to speak and reason with a ‘troublemaker’, but if they do not back down, they are handcuffed and chucked into a holding van until they calm down. From there, the same officers decide whether or not to charge the person.

In the summer, Swieqi and St Julian’s residents have to deal with multitudes of students tramping home in the early hours of the morning. They urinate and defecate on private property, damage cars and letter boxes and more. This is not to say that Maltese youths do not get up to the same – but they do tend to have more respect for people’s property in general.

The real danger is the drug and alcohol-fuelled altercations and free-for-alls. We are often quick to point the finger at bouncers and security staff, but we must acknowledge that there is a violence problem. It is not getting better, in fact it is getting worse.

Recent figures for violent crime in Paceville are not available, and this newspaper would like to take the opportunity to ask Dr Falzon to put forward a parliamentary question once the House reconvenes after summer recess. From there, we appeal for all parties concerned to get together and come up with a holistic plan to address the situation.

Let us be clear – Paceville will always see its fair share of problems. Alcohol is legal and on sale, and like it or not, drugs are freely available. But something must be done before that thin blue line breaks. The police need more trained resources to deal with situations preemptively, rather than in reaction. Surely, 16-year-olds (and younger) walking around with knives and consuming alcohol, is not the Malta we want.