The Malta Police Force on Friday presented its corporate strategy for 2025-2030, with the prevailing theme being that of safer communities and smarter policing.

It said that the Police Force's vision is for the community to entrust it in ensuring a safe and secure society for all, with the mission statement of providing a professional and trusted policing service to ensure safety and security in partnership with the community.

The 2025-2030 plan is built upon three main pillars, it said. The first is designated as ensuring public safety and security, followed by the strengthening of public trust and police legitimacy, and the third pillar is to deliver smarter policing.

Going over the aforementioned pillars, it said that they have been translated into 15 priorities and 75 commitments, which it pledges to implement over the next five years. It stated that the priorities define the key areas where the Police Force will focus its efforts, "ensuring a structured and targeted approach to address critical challenges and opportunities within policing".

Some of the priorities indicated within the strategy include enhancing crime prevention efforts, improving operational readiness, adopting data-driven policing methods, enhancing transparency and accountability in the aim of good governance, reassuring the public, adapting to emerging technologies, and optimising organisational processes and structures.

Continuing on the pillars, the Police Force said that the expected outcomes of adopting these priorities are that there will be enhanced public trust in the police, a reduction of crime rates in high-risk areas, an improvement in victim support systems, an improvement in accessibility to police services, heightened police accountability, optimised resource allocation and workflow efficiency, and higher standards of forensic services, among a multitude of other anticipated outcomes.

It said that efforts to enhance crime prevention efforts will include commitments such as identifying and focusing on crime hotspots, supporting initiatives which encourage third parties to take greater responsibility for preventing crime within their operations, and enhancing community-focused policing efforts.

Speaking further about efforts to enhance transparency and accountability as good governance measures, it said that some commitments in this regard include enhancing transparency by making key documents easily accessible online, keeping the public updated on crime statistics and operational outcomes, as well as monitoring and analysing use-of-force incidents to ensure accountability and improve practices.

Detailing commitments in line with the priority to adapt to emerging technologies, the Police Force said that it will explore the use of artificial intelligence and advanced data management systems in order to enhance operational efficiency, ensure ethical compliance, and optimise resource deployment. It added that it will also invest in secure digital communication platforms and dashboards to improve internal collaboration and enable real-time strategic adjustments.

With regard to the strategy for 2025-2030, the Police Force concluded by stating that the strategy represents a "commitment to continuous evolution, meaningful delivery, and lasting public value". It continued that the strategy builds on the progress of recent years while also charting a forward-looking path for a modern and service-oriented force.

Reflecting on the 2020-2025 transformation strategy which preceded this one, the Police Force stated that the vast majority of the previous strategy's initiatives are deemed to have been accomplished, "with an estimated percentage completion rate being set at around 80%". It commented that the strategy is deemed to have been a success which "far exceeded expectations".

It stated that some key achievements since the previous strategy include Malta being ranked as tenth in terms of 'order and security' in the World Justice Project's Rule of Law Index. The Police Force commented that this achievement is the result of several years of investment in modern policing tools and practices, as well as continuous professional development of officers and the strengthening of victim support services.

It continued that Malta and Gozo have also achieved record-low crime rates, with Malta having witnessed a "steady and sustained decline in crime" over the past five years, "reaching historic lows".

Going over some statistics, the Police Force stated that "only 21 cases were reported" of armed robberies in 2024, along with 209 incidents of vehicle thefts, and 513 cases of residential burglaries.

It said that every homicide case since 2018 has been solved, and added that the Police Force also has 100% audit compliance with the National Audit Office, with all 2020 recommendations having been implemented by 2024.

Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri spoke of the previous strategy and said that the Police Force at the time had made a firm commitment to modernisation through structure and decisive action, a commitment which he remarked has been honoured. He continued that now is not the time for closure, but rather for continuity. "We are not marking the end of a strategy, but recognising that real change has taken root," he said, as he added that this next strategy represents a "bold shift, from transformation to permanence".

Malta Police Governance Board Chairperson Saviour Formosa stated that the incoming strategy is one borne of a "massive but focused effort", as he commented that the target is the safety and security of the populace, which he said is a target which can only be achieved by a "forerunner entity that is the Malta Police Force". Formosa remarked that he hopes faith in the Police Force continues to increase.

Police Commissioner Angelo Gafa said that the efforts by the Police Force over the past five years have enhanced police legitimacy and public safety. He said that the Police Force is now shifting from a "phase of transformation" to a phase of "institutional excellence", with the new corporate strategy introducing a more structured approach for the force to reach its goals and focus its efforts for the next five years.