The Malta Police Force has introduced a new fleet of 36 vehicles as part of an effort to bolster the Rapid Intervention Unit (RIU) and the Road Policing Unit (RPU), the government said Wednesday. The investment, totaling over €2 million, includes 30 vehicles allocated to the RIU and six assigned to the RPU, effectively doubling the fleet available to these specific divisions.

The procurement was supported by European Union funding, which co-financed 16 of the RIU vehicles with a contribution of approximately €1 million. Home AFfairs Minister Byromn Camilleri said that the primary objective of this expansion is to increase the visibility of police officers on the road and enhance operational capacity.

The acquisition is part of an ongoing initiative to modernize police resources and equipment. According to Police Commissioner Angelo Gafà, the expansion complements recent operational performance. Over the past year, the RIU conducted more than 3,400 road checks and logged 612,000 kilometers in patrol activity.

The Road Policing Unit, established in recent years, continues to expand its mandate. Beyond standard traffic enforcement, the unit is increasingly involved in the investigation of serious traffic accidents. Officers in this department have recently undergone specialized training abroad as part of efforts to improve technical capabilities.

The new vehicles are equipped with updated technology intended to assist officers in their daily duties. This development follows other recent measures, such as the introduction of roadside drug testing, aimed at increasing traffic safety and law enforcement coverage across the country.