The National Statistics Office and the Malta Police Force (MPF) collaborated on an inquiry into the public’s opinion of the Malta Police Force during May and June of last year.

The survey found that the majority of the population (90.0%) have trust in the MPF, with varying levels. 44.9% had a high level of trust, another 45.1% expressed a moderate level, while 9.7% trusted the police slightly or not at all.

The survey included questions on trust, integrity, professionalism, service, image, and Community Policing.

The survey was carried out among 1,553 individuals aged 18 and over who live in private households.

One question focused on general views of the MPF. 55.3% of the population had a positive/very positive opinion and 8.7% had a negative/very negative opinion. 35.8% expressed neither one nor the other

Respondents gave reasons justifying their trust in the police.

The survey found that 48.9% of those trusting the MPF (very or extremely) perceived the police as acting with fairness, dignity and respect. 40.2% said that their presence is felt, while 31.5% said that the police acted when called.

Respondents who do not fully trust the police also gave their reasons.

27.6% of this group said that the police are never around, 24.5% said that the police do not act with fairness, dignity and respect, and 19.4% said that the police failed to act or respond when called.

Respondents could have chosen more than one attribute to their trust or mistrust.

Specific characteristics

Respondents were asked about their perceptions of the MPF on specific characteristics ranging from integrity to impartiality.

59.6% perceived the MPF to have a high level of integrity against 27.1% who neither agreed nor disagreed with this proposition. 68.5% saw them as providing a professional level of service and 54.1% as impartial enforcers of the law.

Those who neither agreed nor disagreed with the professionalism of the MPF made up 22.0% and those who neither agreed nor disagreed with the impartiality of the MPF accounted for 30.0%.

Experiences involving the Malta Police Force

Nearly one third of the population (32.7%) had some type of contact with the MPF during the 12 months preceding the survey. Contact was defined as lodging a report, being involved in an accident, being questioned, being stopped during a police inspection, issued a fine by a police officer, and others.

Two thirds rated their experience as good or very good, while 18.2% rated it as bad or very bad. 14.8% rated their experience had been neither good nor bad.

Type of service

Respondents were asked about the type of service they would prefer to see an increase in, given a choice. 79.5% would prefer more visibility of police officers on the road and 18.0% were in favour of access to a nearer police station.

Image of the Malta Police Force

Just over half of the respondents (53.2%) said that they do not follow the MPF on social media. 30.3% observed that the MPF had undergone a good or very good level of modernisation in its public image and operations during the year preceding the survey.

But the biggest segment – 48.6% – thought that modernisation in these two aspects had been moderate.

Community Policing Teams

Community Policing is built on the concept of community building and problem solving. The survey explained that the Malta Police Force is investing in the creation of Community Policing Teams in many localities, with the objective of rendering visible and effective service by training and deploying more community-oriented police officers.

Over two-thirds of the population were aware of Community Policing Teams (CPT), although extent of this awareness varied according to the regions where community policing is implemented and the regions where it has not been rolled out yet.

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