Since 2007, cases of violence against police officers, increased substantially; with the largest number of cases being registered last year, with 208. In 2009 such cases sky-rocketed by almost 55, to 181. The Malta Police Association (MPA) is calling on the Government for harsher penalties, since members of the police force are being demotivated over increase in cases of violence. MPA outlined that policeman are not covered by any form of insurance, despite calls for such a problem to be addressed since 2004. MPA raised the question why amendments, which had been advocated by the Minister responsible for the Police Force at the time, have been shelved.