Fewer than a third of the number of police officers in Malta who left/concluded their service with the force since January 2020 were replaced, a series of Parliamentary questions have revealed.

Between January 2020 and September 2021, 321 police officers left/concluded their service with the force (105 in 2020 and 216 in 2021), 22 of whome were stationed in Gozo, Byron Camilleri, Minister for Home Affairs and National Security, said  in reply to a Parliamentary Question by PN MP Chris said on Tuesday in Parliament.

On the other hand since January 2020, 109 police officers were recruited (44 in 2020 and 65 in 2021), noted Camilleri in a separate Parliamentary Question, responding to PN MP Beppe Fenech Adami He also said that aside from this number, a number of officials were employed as part of the 'civilianization'. This refers to civilian employees who would, for example, do clerical work in order to free up officers to do police work.

Moreover, the number of Reserve Police Constables (RPCs) leaving the Police Force in the period from 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2020, was 34 whilst for the period between 1 January 2021 and 31 August 2021, the amount was 16, added Camilleri. By the end of 2021, 26 RPCs will be leaving the police force as they are sixty-five years of age or older, he said.

The number of members of the Police Force who remained in service, even though they had served their 25 years, was 263, said Camilleri.