Birkirkara police station serving 70,000 could become guesthouse, PN demands answers

The Nationalist Party demanded clarity over the future of Birkirkara’s district police station after plans were filed to convert its current premises into a guesthouse, with authorities yet to say where the station would be relocated.

The party explained that the 9 District carries significant importance since it covers over 70,000 people living in Birkirkara, Attard, Naxxar, Balzan, Lija, Iklin, and Għargħur. Birkirkara alone houses about 30,000 residents.

Apart from serving as the district headquarters, the Birkirkara police station is currently listed by the Police Force as the only district police station operating within the area.

The statement comes after an application was filed to redevelop the Birkirkara police station into a Class 3A guesthouse with a rooftop swimming pool. 

The application has yet to receive a recommendation, while the Police Force has said it will not discuss the station’s future while a Constitutional Court appeal concerning the property remains ongoing.

The PN insisted that the government has a duty to immediately explain whether there will continue to be a police station in Birkirkara and, if relocated, where this district station will operate from.

It called for a clear explanation as to why matters had reached this stage without a concrete plan having been prepared in advance for the future of what the party described as one of the country’s most important police stations.

“This is not simply an issue concerning a building,” the PN said. “It is an issue of planning, priorities, and the way in which government is managing our country’s internal security.”

The party noted that the case in Birkirkara is not isolated, referring to a 2025 report which said at least 26 localities did not have an operational police station of their own. The list includes, among others, major localities such as Msida, Mellieħa, Swieqi, and Żebbuġ.

At the time of the report, the Msida police station had been closed since October 2023. Almost three years later, the Police Force’s official website still shows that Msida does not have a police station of its own, instead listing the Sliema district station and Gżira police station as serving the locality.

The party went on to say that all of this should lead to a broader question: what is the government’s national plan for police stations?

While community policing, digital services, and modernisation are all positive tools, the PN insisted that it cannot be the case that one locality after another is left facing uncertainty over its police station while officers rely on temporary arrangements.

The party went on to say that police officers already carry out difficult work every day, arguing that the state cannot continue demanding more from them while failing to plan basic measures such as where a district station serving more than 70,000 people will operate from.

The PN said the government can produce as many polished social media videos as it wishes, but insisted that public safety is not measured by what people see while scrolling through Facebook or Instagram.

Instead, the party said safety must be judged by the reality on the ground in Malta’s communities, including the police presence on the streets, the resources available to officers and whether citizens feel they have somewhere to turn when they need help.

Above all, the PN said, it is measured by whether people feel safe in their own country.

Police Force declines to comment until proceedings are concluded

MaltaToday contacted the Police Force for clarification on whether the property in question was ever owned by the government and, if so, whether it was subsequently transferred into private ownership. If not, MaltaToday asked whether the property had instead been rented from a private owner and what circumstances had led to the current situation.

It also asked whether the police were aware of the change-of-use application currently being considered and whether, in light of the application, there are any plans to relocate the Birkirkara police station.

In response, the police said the Birkirkara police station is currently the subject of constitutional proceedings between Malcolm Mallia and the State Advocate. It therefore said it would be inappropriate to comment on matters raised in the proceedings until the case has been determined.