Nine youths who were subjected to a search by the Armed Forces of Malta during the Nadur Carnival weekend have contacted The Malta Independent to express their satisfaction at the courteousness of the soldiers in carrying out their duties.

The group contacted this newspaper and said that they were all in a Land Rover, on their way to Nadur when they were stopped and subjected to a search.

Apparently, the soldiers carrying out the search were all unarmed (with one armed sentry in the background) and they even used please and thank you. The females of the group were searched by female officers and when one of the group spoke to the soldiers in English, the commanding officer indicated to a fluent English-speaking soldier to address his concerns.

The group said the AFM carried out a thorough, but non invasive search, adding that while it was a small inconvenience, they did not mind in the slightest as they felt they had been shown respect. This also reflected well on the attitude of the party-goers, one of whom approached the CO after the 30-minute exercise and shook his hand, commending him and his team on the way they went about their business.

The AFM is an essential component of law enforcement and is a good deterrent to transporting drugs. This particular instance shows that when people are led, and led well, they can inspire a sense of responsibility in others. It is not often that a group of youngsters contacts a newspaper to commend the army for the way a search on their vehicle and persons was carried out.

This is definitely the way it should be done. The Armed Forces, do of course have to adopt a slightly aloof stance. They cannot be friendly – that would not serve as a deterrent. But being civil, courteous, respectful and efficient is certainly something they can do and they proved it in this instance.

While we acknowledge that people are people, there have been instances in the past where the AFM has not shown this courtesy in the past. There have been reported incidents of soldiers leaning into cars with torches with their weapons strapped to their chests. The weapon, although unintentionally, often ended up pointing in motorists’ faces – it just sets a bad tone and gives a bad impression. Also, without a please and a thank you, people get rubbed up the wrong way.

Soldiers need to understand that the vast majority of motorists are not up to no good. They are merely going home after work, or after going for a coffee to a friend’s or relative’s. This newspaper is not attempting to single out a particular unit as having done a good job. But this instance really should be adopted as a model of best practice during vehicular checkpoints. We are sure that there are many more AFM personnel who have done the same on many an occasion. But again, respect breeds respect. When the AFM go about their duties in this way, they not only do what they have to do in terms of finding (or not) illicit substances, but they also serve to boost their own image and generate genuine respect.

A closing note. The person who contacted us also wanted the commanding officer to know that when he did shake his hand at the end and told him that they had done a good job, he felt as if he (the officer) thought he was being condescending. He was not, he was being genuine and this is the real proof that when you treat people respectfully, they will do just that little bit extra to respect you.