St Julian’s confirmed as Malta’s top pick-pocketing hotspot

With 3,378 reported incidents of pick-pocketing, St Julian’s has once again been confirmed at Malta’s top pick-pocketing spot by a large margin.

The information tabled in parliament by home affairs minister Carmelo Abela shows the number of police reports filed between 2008 and 2014. St Julian’s started ‘beating’ Valletta as of 2009 after the capital city recorded 198 cases in 2008 while St Julian’s reported 94.

The situation in Valletta started improving when reports filed went down to around 75 in 2011 and back up to 113 in 2014.

The situation however worsened in St Julian’s with numbers going up every year, reaching 904 in 2012. 773 cases of pick-pocketing were reported to the police last year.

The grand total of reports filed between 2008 and 2014 stands at 6,467 cases.

Based on the data provided, the ‘safest’ localities are Dingli, Gharb, Gharghur, Ghaxaq, Lija, Mqabba, Mtarfa and Siggiewi. Only one report for each locality was filed over the past seven years.

Collectively, 15,005 items were reported stolen as a result of the pick-pocketing that took place. Cash (3,390), credit cards (3,085), mobile phones (2,779) and wallets/purses (2,660) were the most items reported stolen.

Curiously, the police also received reports of stolen tobacco, baby utilities, food and beverage, cosmetics and toys among others.