A bottom‐up situational analysis on the state of affairs as perceived through the ranks : 2015

Abstract

This chapter documents the empirical origins of the contemporary transformation of the Malta Police Force by reproducing the key 2015/2016 strategic consultation documents: Police Force Strategy: A High-Level Document and the accompanying presentation Malta Police Force: A Bottom-Up Situational Analysis – Towards a High-Level Strategy. Initiated via an entity-wide quantitative survey of 642 members across all ranks, the assessment gathers over 9,000 internal recommendations to establish a bottom-up, evidence-based understanding of the Force's operational challenges. The findings highlight the need for modernization, functional restructuring, civilianization of administrative roles, and the adoption of intelligence-led and community-oriented policing. By establishing five core operational strategies, preventive patrol, routine activity response, emergency response, evidence-based criminal investigation, and problem-oriented policing, these foundational outputs created the baseline for subsequent long-term strategic plans, transitioning the organization from reactive administration toward proactive, professionalized public service.