Malta awoke to a great tragedy yesterday. Many toasted to a better new year for everyone at the stroke of midnight, everyone hoping for a better year than the forgettable one that we have just signed off.

Sliema was jolted awake early yesterday, as news of a terrible, terrible tragedy began to filter out. People heard a scream in a block of apartments and it later transpired that a young father had been killed while fending off a robber. The young man, only in his 30s, had recently become a father to twins and he leaves behind a young widow. The robber was also killed, presumably, in the struggle between the two men.

This edition’s leader was meant to be full of hope and enthusiasm for the year ahead, but it seems hard to be able to do so in the wake of such a terrible incident. But then again, we also have to celebrate life, as many of the people who gave tribute to Duncan on social networks did by posting a beautiful photograph of him cradling his daughters.

And just as we give tribute to the young man here, in this column space, we can also be buoyed by another piece of news in this edition, the birth of a baby, yesterday, New Year’s Day. Each and every child that is brought into the world is a miracle, a blessing and a wonder.

The truth is that we sometimes believe that Malta is still cloistered, hidden away from the world and ‘different’. Our country is changing. Whatever the official figures show, crime is increasing. Delinquency is on the rise and we experience the same shocking crimes that we shake our heads at when we hear about them on the foreign news channels.

We are not saying that this fact has anything to do with the incident in question, but not all our police stations are manned on a 24-hour basis and there is no deterrent on the street. Would a patrol have saved the lives of Duncan Zammit and the man who tried to rob his home. Maybe it would have. Even just the ‘maybe’ is enough to warrant more investment. The Police Commissioner has said time and time again that he is trying to stretch the Corps to cover all its duties. There are new recruits every year, but perhaps a serious rethink is needed. Our Police Corps, though dedicated and enthusiastic, is understaffed and under equipped.

One would have to say that this incident was a tragic one which should never have happened. It is a terrible, crying shame. But the reality is that crime is an ongoing battle. Many Police forces in the world have had to modernise, and Malta is lagging behind in that respect. We know that funds are limited and we know that things do not happen overnight, but if there ever was a wakeup call to tell us that we are still fighting a battle against crime, then that call was on New Year’s morning.

We must realise that when we talk about justice, it must not only be done with the victims of crime and the perpetrators, but also society in general. People have a right to feel safe in their own homes. No one, no matter whether young or old, should be made to feel like they are at risk in the place where they should feel most secure. What a sad start to this New Year.