There are currently 139 Reserve Police Constables active within the Police Force, the majority of whom are retired police officers, whilst seven are retired AFM members, a Home Affairs Ministry spokesperson told The Malta Independent.

The government has been recruiting retired officers back into such roles for a number of years.

This newsroom sent a number of questions to the Home Affairs Ministry about the scheme. The ministry was asked: whether the Reserve Police Constable scheme is still in place and if yes, to provide the number of retired officers who came back to work in the Police Force; whether this is due to a lack of new recruits; whether the government would end the scheme if more recruits begin signing up; and about the kind of work the Reserve Police Constables do within the Police Force.

“A Police Force which is continuously increasing its efforts and initiatives to offer a better service to the public needs to strengthen its workforce on a regular basis. Newly established branches such as the Gender Based and Domestic Violence Unit together with the expansion of community policing teams in different localities has created new demands,” the Home Affairs Ministry spokesperson told this newsroom.

“Therefore, the calls for new recruits are almost always ongoing and in a few weeks around 60 recruits will be joining the Force. Recent measures such as the transformation strategy and the inclusion of more civilian roles within the Police Force have also helped to attract more professionals to join. In fact, last year the Malta Police Force recruited four crime analysts amongst other specialists in various roles.”

The Reserve Police Constable scheme is there to complement these efforts, the spokesperson explained.

“Last December a call was issued, and a selection process will take place. By making use of the officers’ experience, the Malta Police Force was able to delegate certain duties to reserve police constables such as sentry points, school shepherding or office work which would usually be done by regular officers. Reserved Police Constables also work on the ground by assisting regular police officers. A new shift was introduced recently so that Reserved Police Constables can work the same shifts as regular officers, but with less working hours. It must be noted that Reserved Police Constables are subject to a medical test prior to re-joining the force.”

This scheme, the spokesperson said, has helped police officers cope with their workload and has also served as a learning opportunity, as Reserved Police Constables are able to share their knowledge and experience with young officers.