U ajma, ħallini !

Ix-xhieda dettaljata u li tkexkex li ta fil-Qorti l-kuntistabbli Simon Schembri mit-taqsima tat-traffiku tal-korp tal-Pulizija, iktar kmieni din il-ġimgħa, turi min xiex jgħaddu wħud mill-pulizija fil-qadi ta’ dmirijiethom biex jipproteġuna. Fortunatament in-numru ta’ dawn l-inċidenti hu wieħed żgħir.

F’kull livell tal-korp tal-pulizija hemm irġiel u nisa ta’ dedikazzjoni kbira li fis-siegħa tal-prova taw servizz impekkabbli. Tul is-snin kellna numru ta’ pulizija li nqatlu fuq xogħolhom, u Simon Schembri jgħodda b’waħda li għal ftit ma ngħaqadx magħhom.

Iż-żamma tal-ordni pubbliku qatt mhi faċli minħabba li dejjem ser ikun hawn min iħares lejn il-pulizja bħala xkiel fil-fissazzjoni li jkollhom biex jagħmlu li jridu, meta jridu u kif iridu. “U ajma, ħallini” qal iż-żgħażugħ li wara pproċeda biex kaxkar lil Simon Schembri madwar 400 metru taħt il-Mercedes li kien qiegħed isuq. In-nuqqas ta’ rispett ta’ uħud, anke fis-sens wiesa’ tal-kelma, jwassal għal dawn iċ-ċirkustanzi, li fortunatament huma ftit. Dawn it-tip ta’ nies mhux jikkontestaw lill-awtoritá, imma jiddisprezzawha.

Il-poplu Malti għandu rispett lejn il-korp tal-pulizija għax b’mod ġenerali japprezza l-impenn u d-dedikazzjoni tal-membri tiegħu lejn il-komunitá. Il-Korp tal-Pulizija hu l-ewwel ħajt ta’ kenn li n-nies tfittex, u ħafna drabi, fid-diffikultajiet tal-ħajja ta’ kuljum dan il-kenn issibu.

Il-Union tal-Pulizija kif ukoll l-Assoċjazzjoni tal-Pulizija ġustament tkellmu dwar il-ħtieġa ta’ assigurazzjoni biex tipproteġi lill-Pulizija u lill-familji tagħhom meta dawn iweġġgħu jew jitilfu ħajjithom waqt il-qadi ta’ dmirijiethom. Dan hu tajjeb li jsir, u għandu jsir malajr kemm jista’ jkun. Imma iktar minn hekk hemm il-ħtieġa li possibilment ikunu evitati inċidenti ta’ din ix-xorta. Biex dan isir hemm bżonn iktar pulizija fuq ir-ronda kif ukoll li kull pulizija jkun akkumpanjat minn tal-inqas pulizija ieħor. Dan iservi biex kull pulizija jkun imwieżen direttament u mill-ewwel u allura bla dubju jonqsu l-inċidenti fejn tintuża’ l-vjolenza fuq il-pulizija waqt il-qadi ta’ dmirijiethom.

Il-Pulizija m’għandhomx jitħallew dipendenti fuq il-karitá, billi jkunu kostretti li jiġbru l-fondi b’sejħiet pubbliċi wara li jinqala’ incident. L-għajnuna għandha tkun ippjanat u għandha tieħu diversi forom. Għandha tkun għajnuna li primarjament tfittex li tevita l-inċidenti u dan permezz ta’ rinforzi, taħriġ kontinwu kif ukoll billi jkunu pprovduti r-riżorsi kollha meħtieġa. Hekk biss il-pulizija tista’ taqdi dmirha aħjar u fl-istess ħin tingħata protezzjoni adegwata.

Fix-xhieda mogħtija l-Qorti matul din il-ġimgħa mill-kuntistabbli Simon Schembri ntqal li personalment kien xtara elmu u uniformi superjuri fil-kwalitá għal dak li kien jipprovdilu l-korp. Ħadd s’issa għadu ma spjega għaliex il-korp ma jipprovdix lill-Pulizija bl-aqwa u l-aħjar mill-ewwel u minn fondi pubbliċi. Joħroġ ċar u bla dubju li l-kundizzjoni tal-kuntistabbli Schembri setgħet kienet ħafna agħar, kieku ma daħħalx idu fil-but.

Dawn huma uħud mill-affarijiet li jeħtieġ li jkunu rrimedjati. Lill-pulizija l-pajjiż għandu jagħtihom l-aħjar għodda biex jaqdu dmirhom biex fl-istess ħin ikun possibli li iħarsu persunthom bl-aħjar mod possibli.

Il-Pulizija ilhom jitolbu iktar biex ikunu jistgħu jaħdmu sewwa, fosthom il-body cams. Kien tajjeb li sa fl-aħħar, riċentment, fil-bidu tal-Lulju, intqal li l-Pulizija ser jibdew ikunu pprovduti b’dawn il-body cams. Suppost li ser jinbeda proġett pilota, eżattament fit-taqsima tat-traffiku li eventwalment għandu jwassal biex jinfirex fis-sezzjonijiet kollha tal-korp.

Il-parti l-kbira tal-membri tal-Korp tal-Pulizija huma dedikati għal xogħolhom. Hi ħasra li kultant ikun hemm minnhom, ġeneralment fizzjali, li ma jagħmlux xogħolhom sewwa u bħala riżultat jagħtu isem ħażin lill-korp kollu.

Tul is-snin il-Pulizija mhux dejjem kienu stmati tajjeb. Niftakru meta kien tneħħielhom id-dritt għall-pensjoni wara 25 sena servizz, biex eventwalment dan id-dritt reġa’ ngħatalhom lura wara numru ta’ snin. Anke d-dritt li jkunu msieħba fi Trade Union kien pass importanti ‘l-quddiem biex ikun assigurat li l-kundizzjonijiet li fihom jaħdmu l-Pulizija ikunu kontinwament taħt il-lenti, biex jitjiebu.

Hu tajjeb li nuru s-solidarjetá mal-Pulizija u l-familji tagħhom li jbatu konsegwenzi gravi riżultat tad-dedikazzjoni tagħhom għal dmirijiethom. Imma jkun ħafna aħjar jekk naħdmu iktar biex dawn il-konsegwenzi jkunu evitati.

Ippubblikat fuq Illum : Il-Ħadd 26 t’Awwissu 2018

 

Protecting our boys (and girls) in blue

When Police Constable Simon Schembri from the Police Traffic Section took to the witness stand earlier this week, his thoroughly descriptive testimony was shocking. It described in considerable detail what some of our boys (and girls) in blue are up against when carrying out their duties to protect us. Fortunately, such incidents are not that common.

The Police Corps, at all levels, is replete with dedicated men and women who – in the hour of need – stood up to be counted in defence of our society. Over the years, a number of members of the police corps were murdered while on duty: Simon Schembri was lucky in that, notwithstanding his extensive injuries, he did not join that list.

Maintaining public order has never been an easy task, as there are always those who consider the police force as an obstacle preventing them from acting according to their whims. “Leave me alone” (u ajma ħallini) were the words attributed to the apprehended under-age driver who then proceeded to drag Simon Schembri some 400 metres underneath his Mercedes. This is the result of much more than a lack of respect. People like him, unfortunately, do not simply contest authority, they hold it in contempt.

The Maltese people generally respect members of the police force because they appreciate their dedication to the community they serve and because they are always there to serve when needed.

For some time, the Police Union, as well as the Police Association, have been talking about the need for insurance cover as a protective cushion for police officers who are injured on duty and also for the families of those officers who actually lose their lives in the course of their work. There is no doubt that this should be implemented as a mater of urgency.

However, while it is important to mitigate the impact of injury or death on duty it would obviously be preferable if action was taken to prevent such incidents happening in the first place.  One way would be to assign more officers on the beat, preferably with no policeman or woman being left on his or her own. This would reinforce policing and would inevitably lead to a reduction in the number of incidents in which police officers are faced with a violent reaction when carrying out their duties.

Police officers should not be dependent on charity through public requests for donations after a specific incident to help those who have been injured or the families of those who have been murdered. Such assistance should be pre-planned and it should primarily be prevention-oriented through reinforcement of the police beats, better training and a greater allocation of resources. This would ensure that police officers can carry out their duties in a manner which better ensures their own protection.

During the testimony of Police Constable Simon Schembri earlier this week it was revealed that, out of his own pocket, Schembri had purchased a helmet to use on duty which was of superior quality to that provided by the Police Corps, as well as a uniform made of more resistant material than the one provided. No one has so far explained why the Police Corps does not provide items of the best quality for our boys and girls in blue. This is what public funds are for. It is clear that the condition of Constable Schembri would have been much worse, had he not had the foresight to invest in his own safety.

These are some of the matters which need to be addressed. Our police officers deserve the best uniforms and equipment available. This will ensure that while they are striving to produce while on the frontline in our fight against crime, they themselves are also protected.

The Police Force has been requesting more resources for some considerable time. Body cams have been on this list for ages and it is therefore positive to note that, last month, it was announced that a pilot project for the introduction of body cams for use by police officers on duty was to be shortly implemented. The pilot project is to commence in the traffic section and it is hoped it will eventually spread throughout the police force.

Most of the members of the Police Force are dedicated to their duties. It is a pity that, occasionally, a handful of them put the Force in a bad light as a result of the way they act or react.

Police officers have not always been treated properly by the authorities. We remember when their right to a service pension after 25 years’ service was removed, only for it to be reintroduced a few years later. The right of policeman or woman to join a Trade Union is a recent positive development, serving as it does the purpose of ensuring that their conditions of work are kept under the spotlight and subject to continuous improvement.

It is fine to express our solidarity with members of our Police Force when, as a result of carrying out their duties, they suffer injuries or – even worse – sacrifice their lives. But it would be much better if we all worked tirelessly to ensure that these consequences are avoided as much as possible.

published in The Malta Independent on Sunday : 26 August 2018

Iż-żamma tal-ordni pubbliku fil-Marsa

L-ordni pubbliku nassoċjawh mal-Pulizija. Għax normalment hu xogħol il-Pulizija li żżomm l-ordni pubbliku. Ikun hemm mumenti straordinarji li l-pulizija jkollhom bżonn l-għajnuna. F’dawn iċ-ċirkustanzi ħafna drabi l-pulizja jingħataw l-għajnuna tal-armata.

M’hiex sitwazzjoni normali li l-armata tkun iddur fit-toroq biex iżżomm l-ordni pubbliku. Dan iseħħ jew f’mumenti ta’ emergenza inkella meta d-demokrazija tkun taħt theddida. Hekk isir fid-dinja kollha.

Huwa f’dan il-kuntest li wieħed għandu jqis id-dikjarazzjoni tal-Prim Ministru nhar l-Ħadd li għadda f’Santa Luċija dwar il-presenza tal-armata fit-toroq tal-Marsa biex tgħin lill-Pulizija fiż-żamma tal-ordni pubbliku. Iktar kmieni tkellem ukoll il-Ministru tal-Intern fuq l-istess punt.

Irrid ngħid li m’huwiex xogħol l-armata li tinżel fit-toroq. L-armata m’hiex imħarrġa għal hekk. It-taħriġ tagħha huwa biex tiddefendi lil pajjiż fil-konfront ta’ perikli ġejjin minn barra xtutna. Biż-żmien l-armata ngħata ukoll it-taħriġ biex tintervjeni f’każ ta’ diżastri naturali, bħal għargħar, kif ġieli fil-fatt tagħmel meta tgħin lid-Dipartiment tal-Protezzjoni Civili. Dan hu kollu tajjeb u l-armata jixirqilha l-grazzi tagħna lkoll għal dak kollu li jirnexxielha twettaq.

Kemm il-Prim Ministru f’Santa Luċija kif ukoll il-Ministru tal-Intern fil-Marsa iktar qabel, ħabbru ukoll li fl-Għassa tal-Marsa ser jibda jkun hemm Spettur kif ukoll li l-presenza tal-Pulizija fil-Marsa ser tiżdied bl-Ghassa tibda tkun miftuħa għal 24 siegħa kuljum. Dan hu kollu tajjeb għax il-presenza tal-Pulizija fit-toroq hi ta’ għajnuna kbira fiż-żamma tal-ordni pubbliku. Għax huwa meħtieg presenza ikbar ta’ pulizija fit-toroq tagħna, mhux biss fit-toroq tal-Marsa imma f’dawk tal-pajjiz kollu.

Fi ftit kliem hi l-pulizja li għanda tkun inkarigata miż-żamma tal-ordni pubbliku mhux l-armata. Dan jgħodd għall-Marsa u għal kull rokna ta’ Malta.