during an officer's training and the authorization card carried by every authorized armed officer carries a reminder to that effect. An officer's defence in any legal proceedings must rest either on a plea of self-defence (which may include the defence of others) or justification of his action under the general provisions of section 3 of the Criminal Law Act 1967, which states: "A person may use such force as is reasonable in the circumstances in the prevention of crime, or in effecting or assisting in the lawful arrest of offenders or suspected offenders or of persons unlawfully at large." Section 3 does not extend to Scotland, but the position in common law in Scotland is broadly similar. 66. All operations in which shots are fired by police officers are thoroughly investigated by a separate police force to determine whether the police officers acted fully in accordance with the correct procedures and whether there are lessons to be drawn for future operations. There may also be a parallel investigation by the Police Complaints Authority. If these investigations reveal that criminal or disciplinary proceedings are appropriate, then such action follows. 67. The following table shows the number of operations in which shots were fired by police officers in England and Wales in the years 1985-1988. Following investigation and reference to the Director of Public Prosecutions, criminal proceedings were taken against four police officers in respect of three of those operations. All four officers were acquitted. 1185 1186 1987 1988 Number of operations 7172 Police use of firearms - Scotland 68. The position in Scotland is very similar. Guidelines have been issued by the Scottish Home and Health Department to police forces in Scotland. These cover the issue and return of firearms, training of officers, record-keeping, 
**Analysis**
The text appears to be discussing the use of firearms by police officers in England and Wales, as well as Scotland, and the procedures and guidelines that are in place for their use. This suggests that the text is related to the field of law enforcement and public safety, rather than any of the other categories.

**Category**
Law Enforcement, Public Safety