University of Malta OAR publications aligned to MPF themes and regulatory domains resurgent : a Malta Police Force transformation

Abstract

This chapter extracts, categorises, and synthesises a working corpus of 94 records from the University of Malta Open Access Repository (OAR) aligned with key criminology and policing themes, including the Malta Police Force, safety and security, crime, and crime prevention. The extracted records are organized across seven core domains: Police/Policing/Malta Police Force; Corrections, Probation, and Recidivism; Crime, Crime Analysis, and CrimeMalta Observatory; Victimisation, Fear of Crime, and Public Perceptions; Crime Prevention, Safety, and Security; Cybercrime and Digital Security; and Criminal Justice, Policy, and Governance. The chapter provides an analytical synthesis showing a research transition from traditional enforcement-based policing to a broader safety-and-security ecosystem. Furthermore, it highlights key gaps and opportunities, emphasizing the need for longitudinal outcome indicators, intervention evaluations, unified cyber-policing frameworks, repeated national victimization surveys, and an integrated spatial-intelligence framework combining GIS, police operational data, and justice indicators.