A government that genuinely seeks to ensure the safety of the Maltese people would not leave them without open police stations in their localities, the Nationalist Party said.

"Instead, it would implement the necessary reforms to make the Police Force more efficient and encourage more individuals to join."

During a press conference held in front of a closed police station in Msida, Shadow Minister for Home Affairs, Security, and Reforms Darren Carabott listed localities which he said lack a police station to serve residents' needs.  "If you are from Santa Venera or Tal-Pietà, you need to go to a container in Ħamrun. If you are from Żebbuġ, you need to go to Qormi; If you are from Mellieħa, you need to go to Qawra; If you are from Swieqi, St Julian's, or Pembroke, you need to go to St Julian's; If you are from Għargħur, you need to go to Naxxar; If you are from Gżira or Msida, you need to go to Sliema; If you are from Attard or Balzan, you need to go to Birkirkara; If you are from Rabat, Dingli, or Mdina, you need to go to Mtarfa; If you are from Kalkara, Isla, or Birgu, you need to go to Bormla; If you are from Xgħajra, you need to go to Żabbar; If you are from Fgura, Luqa, or Tarxien, you need to go to Paola; If you are from Mqabba, Kirkop, or Safi, you need to go to Żejtun; If you are from Qrendi, you need to go to Żurrieq; If you are from Mġarr, you need to go to Mosta; If you are from Gozo, you need to go to either Rabat or Mġarr, and occasionally Marsalforn when a community police officer is available to use the station as an office."

The Nationalist MP thanked the members of the Police Force who work with the limited resources at their disposal but said that the country needs greater investment to ensure every citizen feels safe in their locality.

Also addressing the press conference was Msida Mayor Charles Selvaggi, who said that Msida residents have been without a police station for almost 500 days.

"The Msida Police Station was closed in October 2023, supposedly temporarily, for renovation works. However, work has been at a standstill for months."

The Mayor stated that the Council has not been informed why the works have halted, nor has it been given any indication of when they will resume and be completed, despite the closure being described as "temporary."

Selvaggi also cited several theft incidents in Msida that were reported in the media, stressing that these alone demonstrate the urgent need for a 24-hour operational police station in the locality.

"Not only have Msida residents been left without a police station open 24 hours a day, but they also face significant inconvenience. In addition to ongoing infrastructural works in the area, residents must navigate a narrow passage due to the scaffolding surrounding the police station building."

The Mayor said that the Msida Local Council had written to Minister Byron Camilleri, offering part of the Council's premises to be used as a 24-hour police station to meet residents' needs. "However, to date, the Minister has not responded, leaving Msida residents with police presence only from Monday to Friday for a few hours."

This, according to the Mayor, is not enough to meet the needs of a cosmopolitan locality like Msida.

The PN said it continues to insist that every resident has the right to feel assured that their security is being safeguarded, as public safety should be a priority. "By keeping police stations closed, the Government is confirming that the safety of the Maltese people is not important to them."

Also present at the press conference were the other Partit Nazzjonalista Councillors in Msida.

PL responds

The Labour Party alleged that the Nationalist Party "is so populist that it has gone in front of a Police Station saying that it is closed, while in reality it is undergoing refurbishment for a better service to the people. Currently, facts show that the Police have never had this amount of stations serving across the country, and a Police present with the Community Police, all over the country."

"At the same time, work continues because in addition to the work on the Msida station, there are other works going on including in Ħamrun, Rabat, Mtarfa - which from a Community Police Office will be transformed into the second Domestic Violence Hub in the country - and other works including in Gżira.  In recent years a Labour Government opened a new state-of-the-art Police Station in Marsascala, opened the first Gender and Domestic Violence Unit in Santa Lucija, overhauled a number of stations such as those of Marsalforn and Siġġiewi operating today 24/7, while replacing secondary stations that were traditionally closed and started to be converted as community policing offices, while opening new ones such as the one in Marsaxlokk."

"This occurred while the remote reporting facility has also been introduced, where a person can file a report from the comfort of their home while still having communication with the Police, even virtually."

It said there was investment in human resources with "significant improvements" in take-home pay, fleet modernisation and working tools, the introduction of body-worn cameras, "continuous improvements in the working environment, even with a modern and more practical uniform. This has certainly been translated into dignity for officials and has led to a more professional service."

It said NSO statistics state that 90% of the Maltese and Gozitan people have confidence in the Police, and the Rule of Law Index states that the security of our country is a strong one and puts Malta among the ten safest countries in the world.

"Therefore, the Opposition must stop being populist and tell the citizens the facts that from Police Stations in a state of abandonment, today continuous investment is being made to offer the best environment to citizens and officials, and that today the Police Force has the greatest presence on the streets."