A Nationalist government would improve working conditions, wages, and pensions to bolster the disciplinary forces across the Maltese islands, leader Alex Borg said Tuesday.

Through its proposals, the PN leader said the party aims to expand the size of the disciplinary forces by attracting more people to enter the disciplined corps, better retain those currently in service, and entice ex-corps members to return to the fold.

In this press conference, Borg said that "we are not factoring the increase in population with the size of the corps" and that those in service require more appreciation and assistance to keep up with future challenges, so that citizens can live with more peace of mind.

While reading out updated crime statistics, Borg noted that between 2024 and 2025, the number of violent crimes, armed robberies, and car thefts all rose. In addition, drug trafficking recorded a "phenomenal increase" of 111%.

Borg and PN security spokesperson, Darren Carabott, outlined that if elected to govern, the PN will first raise the wages of all those in service. Carabott said that salaries will improve "consistently" over the coming legislature.

Retired members of the corps will also have pensions updated and increased; all pensions for these retired persons will rise to two thirds of the current pay of the position they retired in. Carabott said that this would solve a current discrepancy between retired members of the corps who left the workforce at different times.

"Irrespective of when you retired, your pension will be two thirds of the wage today of the rank you retired in," Carabott pledged.

To deter longstanding members of national security from leaving the disciplinary forces, the PN is also pledging that for those exceeding 25 years in service, they will be eligible to earn their given pension while retaining their full wage till they hit 35 years in service. Carabott said that presently, such persons only earn their wages, though can benefit from a pension and a salary if they leave the corps after 25 years and find a job in the private sector.

Borg stated that it will look to provide all citizens with an open police station in every locality across the country. These stations will also better integrate community police into its functioning, it said. Borg noted that in the past 13 years, Labour governments have been doing the opposite and have closed several police stations for different reasons.

Borg also stated that it would like to modernise all police stations, so that victims of crime can feel less intimidated when seeking for help and while filing a police report.

Overall, the PN leader said that more police are needed on the ground, in police stations, in civil protection, and at prison.The PN Opposition would like to modernise the capabilities of the Armed Forces of Malta (AFM) through increased strategic investments.

Here, it criticised how the AFM's most expensive boat, worth some €50 million, has been out of service for a year due to mechanical faults.

Carabott mentioned as well that the AFM only has one functioning helicopter, remarking that "God forbid we need two helicopters for two situations happening simultaneously."

Another proposal is for the Civil Protection Department (CPD) to have all building sites on the Maltese islands at its disposal, so that CPD members can better easily manoeuvre through buildings and areas in emergency situations. Currently, only the Planning Authority has all building sites at hand.

On this, Carabott said that doing so could save crucial seconds during critical emergencies.The Nationalist Party committed itself to making "unprecedented investment" to better combat drug trafficking. It intends to invest in advanced technologies at entry points, such as ports, to stop illicit substances from entering the country on arrival. It added that it aims to fight drug traffickers, not victims, and unravel the networks of organised crime importing illegal drugs through these technologies.

Regarding prisons, a PN government under Alex Borg's leadership wants to ensure that the Corradino Correctional Facility has a dignified sense of discipline, though remains a place of reform where inmates are prepared, over their time behind bars, to return back to society at the end of their sentence to its benefit rather than its detriment.

The Opposition representatives added that they also want to give the judiciary the opportunity to sentence youths guilty of "mistakes at the early stages of their adult life" with community work where possible."

"We want to give community work to persons who still have the chance to reform themselves," Carabott said, observing that a PN government will not impose itself onto the judiciary on sentencing.