Minister open to tougher gun vetting after police shooting

The Home Affairs Minister said he is open to discussing stricter vetting processes for firearm ownership following Friday's shooting in St Julian’s that left a police sergeant fighting for his life. 

Asked by Times of Malta whether he was concerned about the number of hunting shotguns in circulation and whether gun owners are being properly assessed for mental health, Glenn Bedingfield said the issue went beyond any particular type of firearm.

“More than hunting shotguns, I am thinking about all guns. This incident opened up my eyes that it is not just about the type of gun but the vetting that takes place.”

Bedingfield was speaking after addressing a seminar organised by the Association of Maltese Arms Collectors and Shooters, AMACS, to mark 20 years since the introduction of the Arms Act and the Arms Licensing Regulations, which the association helped shape.

He said AMACS had drawn up several proposals on the vetting of people seeking to own firearms and that he intended to discuss those proposals with the association.

“We can't let the good be caught up with the bad, but we can't permit a culture where whoever has a gun feels superior to anyone else.”

The conference took place a day after a St Julian's shooting left a police sergeant critically injured and in intensive care. Another officer was also injured in the standoff.

Bedingfield said the timing of the conference made it difficult for him to address the subject.

“I was here to talk about the amendments to the law, but I don’t really feel like talking about firearms this morning. I am still shocked, still annoyed and still angry.”

He said the officer had gone to work the previous day expecting it to be a normal shift but he remains in intensive care.

“This is because someone took the law into their own hands. This is unacceptable in any society, well any modern society. We are not living in the era of cowboys."

'It only takes one person'

Bedingfield said he became emotional when he visited the officer in hospital and saw the effect of the shooting on the man’s family, fellow police officers and the medical staff treating him.

While praising organisations such as AMACS for acting diligently and responsibly, Bedingfield said that “when one person abuses, everyone looks bad.”

He said AMACS had consistently shown respect for the law and had a history of contributing positively to discussions on firearm ownership.

The minister added that owning, storing or carrying a firearm came with serious responsibilities. Gun owners, he said, needed to act safely, responsibly and with discipline.

“Possession is not a status symbol or anything prestigious or privileged that makes you better than anyone else. This is a responsibility that calls for maturity and humility.”

He called for continuous training and education, as well as closer cooperation between the government, public entities and firearms organisations.

He said such organisations were also well placed to maintain contact with gun owners and encourage responsible behaviour.

“We can't let the good get caught up with the bad.”

AMACS president Steve Petroni said the association stood in solidarity with the police officers who were “made victims of that abuse”.

Petroni said AMACS had long called for stronger vetting of people seeking access to firearms.

“The question isn’t about what gun, but who do you trust? The vetting of people who are being allowed in the system to get a firearm.”

He said his organisation took the process seriously by providing courses, checking whether applicants were genuine collectors and assessing whether they studied and properly conserved their collections.

However, he said standards were not consistent across all organisations.

While some associations were strict about how people were introduced to firearm ownership and collecting, he said others appeared to place greater emphasis on financial considerations than responsibility.

Petroni called for the introduction of a national, unified vetting system for gun owners, rather than allowing individual clubs to set their own procedures.

The bill to update Malta's weapons laws to bring them in line with EU rules is currently at committee stage. It covers who may acquire and possess weapons and sets technical standards for alarm and signal weapons.