Democratic Party calls for independent task force against organised crime

The Democratic Party (PD) has called for an independent task force to be set up separately from the Malta Police Force, with the aim at clamping down on organised crime in Malta.

The PD’s statement comes in light of a car bomb explosion on Monday that grievously injured Romeo Bone, a man who had had frequent run-ins with the law. This was the second explosion of its kind this year and the fifth in 13 months.

“We have seen through the years, that such cases are rarely solved. There seems also to be a laisse-à-faire attitude or so it is perceived by the general public,” the PD said in a statement.

PD suggested that such a task force would have specific funding allocated to it and have its resources more efficiently pooled.

PD's spokesperson for social justice, Alexander Clayman said that, in order to fight organised crime, the root causes need to be identified. "This means increased funding to University criminology and sociology researchers and improved intersectoral collaboration,” he said. “Social workers, police officers, health workers, teachers and business owners should all work together to try and establish why people slip into a life of crime and how we can work to get them out of crime, or even better - prevent it," he added.

PD extended its support to the government, the Police and emergency services and pushed for society to work together.