The International Police Association, Malta Section, today held its annual National Council Meeting where elections for a new National Executive Committee for the period 2014 – 2017 were held.

A totally new administration has now been elected, with Mr.Neville Mercieca as National President, Mr. Joseph Borda as National Secretary General and Mr.George Attard as National Treasurer. Other members are Mr.Patrick Cassar, Mr.Christopher Cutajar, Fr.Raymond Bonnici, Mr.Ivan Brincat, Mr.Elton Buckingham and Mr.Paul Lino Agius.

This new administration is taking charge of IPA Malta Section during its 50th Anniversary. It said that, “this year is very important for us and will do our utmost to celebrate it together with all our members, involve the local community and our foreign colleagues.”

Relations between local and foreign members will be its focal point as these bring further opportunities for the members.

The Committe said that it has a busy programme for this year, which includes an International Shooting Competition where participants from 64 countries are eligible to attend, which has already had an encouraging response.

A new logo to be used during 2014 was also launched this morning.

The Malta section of the International Police Association (IPA), was accepted as full member of the IPA on 30 April 1964, during the World Congress which was held in Blackpool, UK, after submitting a formal request for full membership before independence.

The International Police Association – the largest police organization in the world – is a voluntary association whose origins stretch to a few years after the Second World War. It all started in 1950 when Sergeant Arthur Troop from Lincolnshire, England came up with the idea of creating a channel for friendship and international cooperation among police officers.

At first Sgt Troop encountered considerable resistance for his idea, even from his own superior officers. However through determination, his notion of an association with the development of social, cultural and professional links among its members, in an environment free from discrimination of rank, sex, race, colour, language or religion soon started becoming a reality.

After the first meetings with a few foreign colleagues, from a small beginning, the IPA message quickly took hold and the formation of new sections throughout the world gained momentum. At present membership is in excess of 400,000, with 61 national sections throughout the world.

IPA is governed by an international body known as the Permanent Executive Bureau (PEB), which is composed of eight members, elected by the delegates every three years during a world congress. At present the international president is Pierre-Martin Moulin.

Locally, Section Malta is made up mainly of serving and retired members of the Police Force although there are exceptions, when employees working with the police may be considered for membership.

The section is autonomous and is governed by the national executive committee which is elected every three years during a national executive council meeting. The fundamental principles and aims of the association are derived from its motto in Esperanto – Servo Per Amikeco – Service Through Friendship.

To mention a few these are:

• Encourage exchange visits of individuals and groups;

• Promote among national sections respect for law and order;

• Develop social and cultural activities to encourage the exchange of professional experiences;

• Enhance the image of the Police in the countries of its sections and improve relations with the public;

• Foster youth exchanges and international youth meetings;

• Facilitate a regular exchange of publications between the national sections;

• Assist and aid member countries in catastrophic situations or when hit by natural disasters.

Being a non-profitable association, the Malta section’s only source of income is the membership fee which when compared with what members pay in other national sections, is quite meager. From what the treasurer collects as membership fee, the section has to pay an international levy to the international treasurer in Switzerland for every registered member.

During all these years every executive committee tried its best in developing Section Malta and to improve its position. There were times when this was achieved and times when progress was not as much as desired due to different reasons. However through perseverance and hard work, slowly but steadily as years passed Section Malta managed to register progress especially on the international front.

Section Malta apart from rendering assistance to its members, locally and when travelling abroad, especially for health reasons, managed also to contribute towards the tourist industry by encouraging and bringing to our shores a good number of IPA groups from countries around the world. Assistance to individuals spending their holidays on the Island was even greater, not to mention stopovers by foreign colleagues at Valletta harbour, while cruising the Mediterranean.

If any police officer is interested and wants to know more about IPA, he/she is more than welcome to call at the IPA office at Police Associations Centre, Spencer Hill, Marsa during office hours or send an email to ipamalta@gmail.com or visit www.ipamalta.com

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