Police firearms incompetence:
Recently where young Mr Naitoko was 'accidentally” shot dead by a 'mis-directed” bullet fired by a policeman surely raises the issue of effective firearms training?
I began hunting as a young teenager, and there were basic rules in my training, one being a very important one, 'treat every gun as being loaded”, however, the following two must apply uniquely in this case?
* Identify your target.
* Ensure that the ‘over-shoot' area is clear of life or property.
(High powered bullets travel more than 10 miles! )
The second rule applied in this Naitoko/Police case more than the first.
No difference between being a policeman or not.
If rule #2 had been followed, young Mr Naitoko would be alive today!
Also, it would be appropriate to now ‘re-raise' the unacceptable issue where NZ ceased to register firearms, and instead, for decades now, all that is registered is a person.
The result is that firearms have inevitably fallen into the hands of people who are not registered to own them, and further, we must have to wonder at the ‘expertise' of those in charge of firearms?
Solution: Register all firearms; mandate certified training to all owners.

Michael Donovan, Tauranga.