Updated | Police Rapid Intervention Unit could be split up

The Rapid Intervention Unit (RIU) could once again be split into the Special Assignment Group (SAG) and the Mobile Unit, Sunday newspaper Illum reports.

Sources close to the police corps told Illum that acting police commissioner Raymond Zammit disagrees with the decision to merge the two units together back in July 2013. Sources said that the acting police commissioner, himself an ex-SAG official, wants to breathe life back into his old unit.

The newspaper reports that there are currently 150 members within the RIU, all of whom have carried out intense training. However, some people within the police corps have stated that such a large police squadron can find it challenging to work and tackle certain situations.

Indeed, specialised squadrons in countries much larger than Malta are composed of only around 80-90 police officials.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has claimed that it is currently carrying out “studies to improve the service,” but distanced itself from the reports that the RIU could be reshuffled or split to the SAG and the Mobile Squad.

"Studies within the police corps are ongoing to keep improving the service. This definitely does not mean that the RIU will again be split," the home affairs ministry stated in a reply. 

Sources close to the Ministry told ILLUM that they are planning new shifts after several RIU members complained about having to wake up at 3am to report for work at 4am.

The new shift is expected to be on a ‘Day-Night-Rest-Off’ basis. Each shift will be composed of six hours of training and seven hours of patrolling. However, some police officials have already said that they will request for transfers from the RIU if their shifts change. 

Read more in today's edition of Illum.