If I am to admit the truth, I must say that for me, in appointing a chief of police, the process by which the government must issue a call for applications, conduct an examination of applicants, present whoever is chosen before a parliamentary committee and the rest... it all sounds like a charade and nothing else.
Perhaps, it would have been understandable were we a bigger country having a number of regional police corps, each with their own chief. They would have then been able to compete for the post of commissioner. But given our size, this just does not make sense. As does not the idea that we could have a foreigner to run the police corps. For a central bank, that solution might work. But for the police...?
I agree that politicians of the different parties share the greatest responsibility for problems in how the police corps is run. And not necessarily because they wanted that the appointment of a police commmissioner (and his deputies) remain for them above all, a matter that would guarantee political tranquillity – as they would see that.
More tellingly I feel, their fault was that they did not insist on the priority for the management of the police corps to be modernised from top to bottom, while at the same time a strong investment would have been carried out in police equipment and training.
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A MODERN POLICE FORCE
I rarely do it – refer, that is, to something I attempted to carry out in the past. This time, it will be an exception. About twenty one years ago, I pushed for the implementation of a radical reform programme in the police corps. It was not meant to generate leading stories in the front pages of the print media.
Management consultants analysed the corps' administrative structures. They came out with a plan for its modernisation. They discussed it with most of those involved in police matters. In tandem with them, they set out to reform police daily methods of operation.
Dr Joe Brincat prepared a draft bill intended to bolster the operations and professionalism of the corps as a whole. The aim was to cover matters that had the highest “strategic” relevance as well as ordinary standard operating procedures.
We would not have changed the world. However I wanted to go beyond the rather cosmetic remedies, such as to “allow” police officials to go to University and become lawyers, or to set up a police academy.
The exercise was aborted. Today’s problems also stem largely from that decision.
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BIG BOOTS
When I listen to or read what some reputable centre-right people have to say about how Europe manages its affairs, I can hardly resist a smile.
They worry because the EU does not seem sufficiently aware of the immigration problems arising in the central Mediterranean... Because the voice of the smaller countries does get heard, but then it seems as if nobody has spoken... Because should new needed measures to buttress the construction of Europe construction come into force, what Malta and the Maltese would have to say will surely then get even less of an audience ...
With their misgivings, such individuals seem like they’re discovering a new world. But it had always been clear that those wearing big boots would surely step out with a greater assurance than all others wearing lesser sizes.