Authorities are "belatedly treating the symptoms" of years of lawlessness in Sliema while allowing its root causes to persist, the Sliema Residents Association (SRA) said on Sunday, as it welcomed increased security measures but warned that enforcement alone is not enough.
The Sliema Residents Association (SRA) has welcomed promised measures to increase security in the locality, saying residents have endured years of antisocial behaviour, excessive noise and other forms of "lawlessness" which have repeatedly gone unaddressed.
In a statement, the association said it had been raising such concerns on behalf of the Sliema community for more than three years, particularly over problems linked to party boats, alcohol consumption, short-let apartments and noisy commercial establishments.
The SRA said residents and foreign visitors face "chaos" at the Ferries when party boats return at night, claiming they "disgorge boat-loads of noisy, drunken and often belligerent youths".
It also said that convenience stores further contribute to the situation by illegally selling alcohol after 9pm.
During a meeting with Minister Glenn Bedingfield, Sliema residents complained about overflowing garbage, vandalism and "bare chested and bikini-clad tourists walking, shouting and even defecating in our residential streets", the statement said.
The association said complaints also concerned commercial establishments allegedly playing amplified music outdoors illegally, as well as "raucous beach parties" which it said disturb residents until 4am from Qui-Si-Sana to Balluta.
It also raised concerns about parties held inside short-let apartments, many of which it claimed are unlicensed, saying these "deprive residents of their legal right to enjoy peace in their own homes".
The SRA said complaints made over the past three years had "fallen on deaf ears", and therefore welcomed Bedingfield's announcement that Sliema would benefit from measures aimed at protecting communities and ensuring residents can live in a safe environment.
"It is deplorable that chaos was allowed to spiral for years, resulting in the need for such extreme measures," the association said.
However, it said an increased presence of police, Armed Forces of Malta personnel and LESA officers was necessary to enable officers to intervene quickly and deter antisocial behaviour and violence.
The association referred to an incident on Saturday in which it said at least five emergency vehicles were called to the Ferries as party boats docked. It also claimed that youths caused traffic disruption on the Strand while carrying a friend who was "too drunk to walk" through traffic.
"The SRA again asks why the taxpayer is footing the emergency services bill for the irresponsible boat operators who prefer to disturb residents and endanger clients' lives, rather than take steps to rein in over-drinking?" the statement said.
The association thanked Bedingfield for acting on residents' concerns, saying he had taken "the necessary action to show that enforcement and discipline do exist in this island".
However, it said increased enforcement alone would not solve the problems facing the locality, arguing that authorities were "belatedly treating the symptoms while allowing the root causes to fester".
The SRA questioned when new rules governing short-let apartments would be made applicable to all properties rather than only newly licensed ones.
It also called on the Malta Tourism Authority (MTA) to shut down unlicensed properties and introduce a two-year moratorium on new short-let licences while the situation is assessed.
The association further questioned when the MTA would suspend the licences of establishments found to be excessively noisy and prevent what it described as the infiltration of noisy bars into residential areas under the guise of "kazini".
It also questioned why the authority continued approving licences for three-star hotels "aimed at cheap youth tourism" when official policy, it said, sought to move Malta towards quality tourism.
Turning to planning, the SRA said policies governing residential areas should be sufficiently robust to prevent the construction of short-let apartment blocks and multiple interconnected hostels which, it claimed, could circumvent restrictions on hotels in residential areas.
It also questioned the continued approval of three-star hotels around the Ferries, arguing that Sliema's carrying capacity was already struggling with existing pressures.
The SRA concluded by reminding the public about its parliamentary petition concerning loud music, which it said affects communities across Malta.
The association urged the public to sign the petition in an effort to curb what it described as "lawlessness in noise pollution", which it said was undermining residents' quality of life and could contribute to health problems.