History of the Malta Police

Abstract

On his victorious return to Sicily from the Battle of the Nile, British Admiral Nelson was asked by the representatives of the Maltese to come to their assistance as they were besieging the French garrison in Malta within Valletta. Nelson sent his allies the Portuguese but soon after directed Captain Alexander Ball to call at Malta and assume command of the allied troops. Later General Graham landed with two British regiments and soon afterwards the French capitulated. A period of political uncertainty followed because both the King of the Two Sicilies (Naples) and the Czar of Russia who was then Grand Master of the Order of St John claimed these Islands and France was bringing pressure on Britain to evacuate Malta. Hostilities between France and England were then resumed and these ended in the downfall of Napoleon. The taking of Malta under the protection and dominion of His Majesty suited the imperial interests of Britain and Sir Thomas Maitland known as King Tom was made Governor of these Islands with clear instructions to annex these Islands to the British Empire. Maitland embarked on an era of reform in all spheres of Maltese life, including the law enforcement which at the time was comprised of several agencies with separate executive powers each having their own police force. Maitland instead wanted the entire management and control of the police to be under the superintendence of an Inspector General who would receive his orders from the Governor. In 1814, a new police force was engaged and it was immediately tasked with the taking of preventative and remedial measures to combat the plague. King Tom then regrouped the three Maltese military contingents namely the 'Maltese Provincial Battalion', the Maltese Veterans' and the 'Malta Coast Artillery' into one infantry regiment known as the Royal Malta Fencible Regiment. This regiment which was founded in 1815, besides military and coast guard duties, performed civil police service. The Police Force and the Fencible Regiment were placed under the same command, that of Francesco Rivarola, and there was much flexibility and interchangeability of duties between the two forces.