Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/333851
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 22 JUNE 2014 Opinion 24 Opinion Emmanuel Mallia S ummer is here, school is almost over, beaches beckon and most of the country is looking forward to shift into holiday mode. Most, but not all... for summer also brings with it a great amount of added responsibilities and duties for many who are involved in providing certain services, the need for which skyrockets in these coming months. My ministry is a case in point, as we need to go into overdrive to make sure that the enjoyment of summer by Maltese and tourists alike is as secure and problem-free as possible. This year's holiday season was kicked off by the World Cup being played on the other side of the world, hence the not customary hours. Knowing full well about the great interest in this tournament, we took two initiatives to ensure maximum public access to the event. The first involved the actual viewing of the games. PBS, the national broadcaster, acquired the rights to transmit all the games live for free, which it is doing. Being also aware that there are many who prefer to watch matches in a more sociable environment, we extended the opening hours of catering establishments to cover all the matches. Naturally enough, this also meant added work for our police force, who have the onerous responsibility of maintaining order at these occasionally rowdy events. These decisions have been appreciated no end by everybody – business owners, tourists and football aficionados alike. Summer also brings with it the festa season, characterised by the almost daily shows offered by our fireworks enthusiasts, vying with each other to come up with the most spectacular pyrotechnics possible. Unfortunately, behind the beauty lies the ugly reality of too many accidents, loss of life and damage to property. We have addressed this, recently introducing new regulations, agreed upon with the stakeholders themselves, aimed to reduce the risks, while encouraging this facet of our cultural milieu and tourist attraction. Our police, civil protection and armed forces also face heavier workloads during these months. Crowd events such as festas and the Isle of MTV concert require increased police presence, while we have ensured that hotspots such as Paceville are covered by more patrols, both on foot and by the Rapid Intervention Unit (RIU). Residents of Swieqi are also more comfortable in the knowledge that there is now a police station for their locality, as well as in Pieta. With children being at home on holidays, they may also be more vulnerable on the internet, and the cybercrimes unit of the police is intensifying its efforts in this area. Civil protection personnel are also on high alert for fires, and accidents on beaches. Needless to say, the armed forces have to maintain, indeed increase the level of activity they carry out beyond our shores. Search and rescue capabilities are being augmented with new facilities for the airwing, including the putting into service of the new customised helicopter (first of two) by the end of this month. Our armed forces daily, but much more so in the calm summer months, carry out the humanitarian task of rescuing lives at sea, without losing the perspective of protecting our shores from illegal activities. The importance of summer in Malta can never be overstated. Our families, our children look forward to this period of relaxation and quality time. Tourists flock to Malta and Gozo in their thousands, driving a substantial part of our economy. We could not enjoy it properly without the selfless service which our disciplined personnel give on a daily basis. This very often creates pressure on them and their families. Very often, we find that we take a trouble-free environment and emergency services for granted. It is only when things go wrong, or when we find ourselves in need, that we turn to them, and find them just a short, three digit (112) phone call away. Our appreciation must be felt and expressed towards these people who are guaranteeing our safe and secure lifestyle, and I take it upon myself to say to them on behalf of all of us: Thank You, your efforts and sacrifices are appreciated. Emmanuel Mallia is Minister for Home Affairs and National Security Ensuring that the enjoyment of summer is as secure and problem-free as possible is of paramount importance, but we could not enjoy it properly without the selfless service which our disciplined personnel give on a daily basis Going into overdrive for the summer season Activities such as the Isle of MTV concert require a heavier police presence