Increase in community policing linked to drop in crime - Robert Abela

Prime Minister Robert Abela has linked a drop in crime during the pandemic to increased police presence in the community.

The Prime Minister said on Sunday that a decrease of 2,500 reports filed at police stations was proof that the prevention strategy, employed recently through the deployment of more officers in the streets, was working. 

According to official data, the number of crimes committed last year went down by 16%, however, the government acknowledged 2020 to be an extraordinary year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, though the overall rate went down, crimes related to computer use and domestic violence shot up.

Addressing party supporters on Sunday, the prime minister reiterated the government’s commitment to security, including in areas which he said were under pressure from migration.

He said people had a right to feel safe outdoors, adding he had pledged, months ago, that those impacted the most by migration will not be scared to go out of their homes. 

Abela said it was not right to have areas that “suffer from disproportionate pressure of migration”.

“We sent a clear message. We deployed a strong police presence in the community, particularly those most...