Police warning shots

Charlie Galea from Sydney, in his letter about the warning shots fired by the police (Police Action, January 25), appears to have forgotten basic physics.

Bullets fired into the air must return to earth, even if the police are "aiming at the sky." Firing bullets into the air, in a populated area is simply not a good idea. His assertion that "...the risk of a bullet hitting someone is minimal" is illogical.

Police in New South Wales do not draw their weapon unless they intend to fire and only fire if they intend to kill. Police in NSW are trained to shoot at the body mass. They don't fire warning shots into the air or aim for the leg. They do not draw their gun or shoot unless they or a civilian are in mortal danger.

My letter posed a simple question intended to raise some intelligent debate about policing procedure in Malta. Malta being the country of my origin, the country where I have many relatives and the country I visit on a regular basis.

Mr Galea's presumptions about where I wrote the letter, what I may or may not know about policing procedure and what may or may not be "out of my league" serves little other than to shine a light upon his ignorance.

I do agree with him on one point, however, "A policeman's job in Malta today is full of risk." So, yes, let's "let them get on with the job" but let us hope they do so safely and with forethought for the consequences of their actions.