Malta Police Force strategy aims to tackle internal corruption, fitness and more
The Malta Police Force has launched its transformation strategy for the years 2020 – 2025.
The document titled ‘Malta Police Transformation Strategy 2020 – 2025’ will include a number of aims, including relating to making the force more flexible, measures to combat internal corruption and more.
Three strategic documents were completed in the recent past in 1997, 1999 and 2004. All failed due to the lack of implementation of recommendations.
“This document, contrary to the ones in the past, will not just be left as a document, and will be translated into concrete action plans,” Police Commissioner Angelo Gafa guaranteed. The police looked at the strategic requirements for the Force.
A reality check was made, where the Force is facing a rapidly evolving society with new modes of criminality and a real/virtual world dynamic, criminologist Professor Saviour Formosa added.
“The aims are the modernisation of the Force, the restructuring of functions, a knowledge-based approach and skilled workforce, and a societal embrace that is in conjunction with society, for society and by society,” Formosa said, mentioning community policing as an example of the latter.
The strategy has three desired outcomes. The first is “increased trust, confidence, legitimacy and responsiveness externally from the perspective of the community, and internally from that of police officers and staff.”
The second is the “transformation of the current police organisation into a flexible, efficient, data-driven, community centric, outcome focused and modern Police Force.”
Lastly, is “innovation and sustainment of the positive changes resulting from reform through leadership and management practices that are both effective and efficient.”
Eleven strategic objectives have been identified on the basis of the three desired outcomes. These are:
1) To communicate with the public in a clear, consistent and transparent manner. This would be done through holding frequent and open consultation, holding periodic press briefings, listening to feedback from the public about the service by the police, etc.
2) Holding itself accountable at all times. This would be done by drawing up internal performance targets, publishing key indicators on the performance of the Force and implementing operational internal audit and quality control measures. 3) Strengthening anti-corruption measures and safeguards. This would be achieved through continuous screening of police officers, offering adequate protection to whistleblowers and conducting regular drug testing of personnel.
4) Putting data and technology at the centre of the operation by deploying a new integrated case management solution, introducing a workflow management tool and introducing a human resources management system, among others. 5) Redirecting focus of Malta’s police officers to where it matters most by drawing up an operational policing strategy that is adaptable and task-based, engaging with external communities and agencies to redistribute some work currently done by the Force, maximising the use of civilians where this is needed and relevant, and outsourcing administrative services to allow the Malta Police to focus on policing. 6) Having a workforce with the right size and shape via restructuring, creating and closing units and clearly defining the remits and objectives of each unit, consolidating the top management structure and optimising the span of control and review the suitability of all ranks, among other things. 7) Having the right capabilities at all levels of the organisation through the development of a formal competency framework and skills and capabilities matric, expanding exchange programmes with other police organisations round the world, developing a skills gaps analysis and trainingneeds analysis, implementing a new police constable training system among other things.
8) Improving the quality of life of staff by enhancing familyfriendly measures, and enhancing the planning of shift schedules, focusing on mental health and a renewed focus on physical fitness and officer wellbeing for example. The Commissioner, on this last point, said “I want a Force where physical fitness is not lost after recruitment. The level of physical fitness needs to be sustained over the years and we need to see how to do that.”
9) Making the Malta Police Force and employer of choice by, among other things, the Force becoming more inclusive through a review of the entry criteria, designing and offering a promising and rewarding career path, introducing measures to increase the level of pride when working in the Force.
10)Creating a leadership and management framework to implement and sustain the transformation. This would be done by being accountable to an external governance board for oversight, developing and implementing leadership development programmes and more. 11)Implementing HR practices that reward the behaviours and attributes that are important to the police. This would include establishing a set of values and translating them into behaviours that are needed, taking a hard stand on discipline, introducing policies and procedures regarding internal placement and mobility and others.
The Police Commissioner said that the implementation of the strategy will be under scrutiny by the Board of Governors. “Contrary to other past reports that were imposed on the Force, we own this document. We asked for it.”
He said the Police Force went for EU funding for the strategy, to send a message that “we want to reform and adapt to a constantly changing environment.” He said that this will add a level of European Commission scrutiny. PWC also helped the Force create the strategy as part of the EU funds agreement, and the Commissioner said that PWC had former British officers who helped out.