22 new CCTV cameras to be installed in Swieqi as part of pilot project

Tourism Minister Edward Zammit Lewis yesterday announced a pilot project that will see CCTV cameras installed in Swieqi, in an effort to help protect residents from vandalism and other forms of crime.

The 22 cameras will be installed on Triq Swieqi, Triq Is-Sidra and Triq il-Qasab. The local council will be in charge of the recording equipment.

The minister said that aim, is to later extend this project to other areas which carry the burden of tourism, such as St Paul’s Bay.

The minister mentioned that there are four types of residents who live in Swieqi: people who have lived there for a considerable number of years, EU nationals living in Malta, tourists, and non-EU nationals living on the island.

He said that this initiative was taken to help alleviate the stresses residents of tourism areas face, and urged the private sector to also take communities into consideration. Swieqi Mayor Noel Muscat said that in the past, crime in Swieqi tended to be vandalism related, however recently, more serious crimes, such as thefts and even a murder have occurred.

In addition to the cameras, €62,000 will be made available to fix up FX Ebejer garden, which will be turned into a multi- sensory garden.

The Mayor said that the Swieqi police station is open at all times, and is only closed when the police are out on patrol. He urged further patrols in the area.

The Mayor said that he expects the Swieqi population to grow in the coming years.

The Mayor also recommended that a new regional culture centre be setup in Swieqi, to try and help the different residents in Swieqi come closer together, as he fears that the locality does not yet have an identity.