Paceville ‘needs to be a police state’ – former resident

Former and current Paceville residents are calling for stricter security measures in the popular nightlife area, following a report published by the parliamentary Social Affairs Committee on security and public order.

One of the proposals within the report - which was issued last week after a month-long consultation process with residents, the police, the business community and all stakeholders connected to Paceville - suggests that a police substation be installed within the popular entertainment area.

Despite the General Retailers and Traders Union's complaint that a police station within the area would exacerbate the issue of persistent troublemakers, residents who gave their comments to this newspaper felt that an increased police presence in the area could only prove to be beneficial.

A former resident claimed that while he wouldn't previously have agreed to such measures, Paceville has escalated to a point where he feels it needs to be done.

"It needs to be a police state," the former resident said, while adding that the police should not ideally be allowed to go to the extreme. But the apparent chaos of Malta's top entertainment spot is one of the main reasons why he left the area.

"Police should be there for the sake of the residents' protection... also, it wasn't nice having to clear up all the rubbish on my doorstep," the resident said, also citing "noise from clubs opening closer and closer to the residential area," as a reason for him leaving the area.

A resident who has recently moved to Paceville also cited the general "hygiene" of the area as a problem. "In the morning, the streets are black," the resident said, while adding that more police presence would always be welcome.

"I used to live in a quieter part of the island where I wouldn't think twice about taking a stroll in the middle of the night. Now I wouldn't risk it. I know that you can't really compare Malta to other, bigger countries in this regard but the fact remains that in Paceville, you can get mugged," the resident said, while also agreeing with a related proposal in the report: an increase of CCTV cameras in the area.

"I don't see cameras as an intrusion - they're there for security," the resident said, adding that Paceville should be considered as something of an "exception" when it comes to heightened security measures.

A former resident whose immediate family still lives in the Paceville area however said that while the physical presence should be bumped up to 24-hour surveillance if possible, CCTV cameras should be curtailed, or used sparingly.

"Previously we had cameras that were installed but that were either out of order or simply remained switched off, which was a waste of money. And if cameras are to be increased, I don't think they should point at people's houses. But 'real time' police presence is a must - not just for the sake of people who frequent clubs but also for the residents' sake - for years we would find fights breaking out, people vomiting on the doorstep and committing other lewd acts," the resident said.

Commenting on another proposal in the report - the suggestion that there should be more communication between entertainment venues and the police, most pertinently regarding the controversial issue of bouncers in Paceville - the resident said that "bouncers should be eliminated".

"It's hardly news that they seem to do more harm than good, and if police presence is increased I don't see the point of having them around," the resident said.

A former resident who lived in the area for just over a year described living in Paceville as a "nightmare", and agreed with increased police presence and CCTV cameras.

"Even though I'm against CCTV cameras on principle, I've witnessed quite a few violent incidents in the area. It would be a very good idea to have more surveillance there so the guilty parties can be held accountable," the resident said, while claiming that from experience, the taxi drivers operating in the area in particular should be monitored more closely.

"Two of my friends and I witnessed something horrible once. Two men were passing through the of Paceville really late, and the younger one insulted one of the taxi drivers (who had provoked him). Two drivers went for him, but they legged it, so they turned on to the other guy, who was in his 60s and not in state to defend.