Foresights : organisational and management review of the Malta Police Force 1997

Abstract

This work examines the 1997 Strategic Management Audit of the Malta Police Force (MPF) conducted by the Management Systems Unit Ltd (MSU) under the direction of David Spiteri Gingell. Commissioned during a period of political transition, the audit evaluated the Force’s legislative mandate, strategic direction, control structures, and operational management. The review revealed that the MPF lacked a defined mission, operated under outdated legal frameworks, and overburdened sworn officers with non-core administrative and regulatory tasks. It provided 78 actionable recommendations aimed at establishing a modernized Police Act, creating an independent Police Board, separating operational policing from administrative roles through civilianisation, introducing intelligence-led policing, and upgrading technology and human resource practices. Reflecting on the report nearly three decades later, the introductory commentary highlights how these foundational recommendations anticipated modern policing reforms and directly informed the Malta Police Force Transformation Strategy 2020–2025.