As bullets whizzed past two police constables who helped foil a hold-up at HSBC Malta’s head office last summer, the colleagues relied on their strong working relationship and communicated through eye contact and subtle hand gestures.

“We’d look at each other and know what the other was thinking... Our team spirit helped us make it through the shoot-out,” PC Kenneth Ciangura said as his work partner, PC Kurt Gauci, nodded in agreement.

The two young constables, who form part of the mobile squad, have been rewarded twice for helping stop robberies. Although they admit they do not like media attention, they feel it is important that the work of the force is recognised and understood by the public.

The officers have been working together for about three years. Mr Ciangura, 29, was initially stationed in Birkirkara and Mr Gauci, 26, in St Julians. The two already knew each other and met again when they joined the mobile squad.

“I asked him (Mr Gauci) if he could drive and suggested we work together,” Mr Ciangura joked. The two applied to be allowed to work together and their request was accepted.

On a typical day, the officers turn up at the headquarters in Floriana to collect the marked car and begin patrolling the area assigned to them after getting a briefing of any missing people, stolen vehicles or events they should keep an eye out for. If there is a village feast, for example, they focus on that area because of the risk of theft. Then, if something crops up outside their patrolling area they head there for assistance after getting the go-ahead from their superiors.

Although their job can be tough at times, both feel it is worth the while. “There’s a great sense of satisfaction in knowing that you are doing something for the good of society,” Mr Ciangura said. His colleague added: “Then, of course, there is the element of adventure.”

The two officers have had their share of action and adventure. On June 30 last year they ended up fending off “a shower of bullets” during a shoot-out with robbers attempting a heist on HSBC’s main vault inside its Qormi headquarters.

It later turned out that one of the alleged assailants was hit in the face by the bullets fired by the police, an injury that led to his arrest and that of another three men.

The cases are still pending so the officers were not in a position to speak about them. All they said was that they believed their team spirit helped them survive.

Then, last March, they managed to prevent another robbery when they caught a man red-handed as he left a warehouse in Tal Ħandaq, Qormi from where he had just lifted a safe with €64,000 worth of cash and cheques. He was jailed for four years after admitting to the crime.

So, do they attribute their success to luck or skill? The officers believe that, while there is an element of “being in the right place at the right time”, their teamwork and alertness play an important part.

They were trained to know what to look out for during patrols, so they check out any suspicious cars, like closed vans, and strange behaviour, like someone looking on edge.

They admit they keep a “distanced respect” for the people they arrest or chase, adding that this also gives them an edge because suspects are usually more willing to cooperate.

“I have learnt that a (professional) criminal will do anything to escape but, more often than not, once you catch them, they cooperate and take on the attitude of ‘you did your job, I did mine’,” Mr Ciangura said.

He said that he and his partner made it a point to treat everyone respectfully – citizens and arrested criminals – and this won them respect in return.

They urged people to be more careful and not invite crime. Small things could help, such as not leaving keys in a car or in the lock of the main door. They also urged people to cooperate with the police if they witnessed a crime and stressed that anonymity is guaranteed.

Police training

Mobile squad police officers were prepared for a range of scenarios during training at the Police Academy, Commandant Ronald Kelly said.

Training involves how to carry out searches related to drugs, weapons and other items in suspected vehicles, searches for suspects in a closed environment, how to approach a suspect during a hold-up and arrest procedure, which includes informing suspects of their rights.

Officers are also taught how to handle a firearm and how to fire it, the proper use of pepper spray and when to use a taser gun, among other things.

All police officers undergo training at the academy. Lectures included instruction in Maltese law and other topics that were of interest and essential for police officers to serve the public in the most correct and professional manner possible, Mr Kelly said.