Close to 150 community police officers are celebrating their graduation from a course designed to help them respond more effectively to online abuse and support children in navigating the digital world safely.

The officers received certification or an Award in Child-Friendly Community Policing in Today’s Online World, an MQF level 4 course, during a ceremony attended by Home Affairs Minister Glenn Bedingfield and Police Commissioner Angelo Gafà.

The accredited course was delivered under POP-Up, a project forming part of the Malta Foundation for the Wellbeing of Society, which is licensed as a Further and Higher Education Institution by the Malta Further and Higher Education Authority (MFHEA).

MFWS chair Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca said the graduation ceremony celebrated the officers’ dedication and reflected the Foundation’s commitment to placing children’s wellbeing, safety and rights at the heart of policing.

“In an increasingly digital world, police officers play a vital role in protecting and supporting children and families. Through this training, they have strengthened their ability to respond with professionalism, empathy and understanding to the challenges facing young people online.

“I congratulate all graduates and thank the Police Commissioner and the Malta Police Force for their collaboration. Together, we are building safer communities and a more child-centred society,” Ms Coleiro Preca said.

Dr Bedingfield said the course had equipped officers with the knowledge and tools needed to better understand the realities children face online and the risks that come with them.

“We want a police force that protects, listens and remains close to the community, both in the real world and online. With 148 officers having completed this training, we are strengthening the Force’s ability to create an environment where children feel safe speaking up and seeking help,” he said.

POP-Up project coordinator Antonella Gatt said that having completed the course, officers were now better equipped to handle reports involving online risks, promote safer internet use, communicate digital safety to children, and better understand the rapidly changing digital landscape.

The skills covered are also crucial to building trust with children. Officers have been trained to identify risky online behaviours, respond with empathy, and interview children in a child-friendly manner, while adopting a preventive approach and using the tools gained to promote safer digital practices in the schools and communities they visit.

The Police Commissioner said the partnership with the Malta Foundation for the Wellbeing of Society and its POP-Up Project provided community officers with the right training to engage with children sensitively, recognise signs of vulnerability and intervene before harm escalates.

“Protecting children today requires us to understand both their physical and online worlds. The trust built through everyday contact in schools and communities can determine whether a child feels able to speak when something is wrong.

“This initiative strengthens our shared commitment to child-centred policing and reflects our conviction that safeguarding children depends on prevention, early intervention and effective partnership,” Mr Gafà said.

Student representative PS Abigail Sciberras, who gained the highest marks during the course, said the training had strengthened her understanding of how to engage with children and young people in today’s digital world.

“This course helped me focus on active listening, empathy, online safety and trust-building. The knowledge gained will support my duties in prevention and community engagement, helping young people feel safe and confident in approaching the police.”

Further information on the courses is available on https://mfws.org.mt/courses/