Reporters offered shooting course

JAKARTA (JP): The National Police are offering a crash course on shooting for journalists, Antara reported yesterday.

The offer, however, has nothing to do with the increase in attacks on reporters in recent years. It is to teach them shooting procedures so that they better understand police work.

The course, offered to journalists covering police beats, will include an introduction to guns, their uses and police forensic matters, Antara quoted National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Trimada Dani as saying Tuesday.

"If necessary, you guys could learn to shoot with the Mobile Brigade (the elite police force) so that you'd know that shooting is not easy," Trimada said during a meeting with reporters.

"This is so you won't criticize the police so easily if errors are made," he added.

The shooting of criminals by police has become common practice in recent months, reflecting in part the increasing crime rate.

In Metropolitan Jakarta alone, one estimate put this year's number of alleged criminals shot dead by the police at more than 70.

Police have defended their actions, citing self-defense or suspects resisting arrests. They also said that in each case warning shots were fired in accordance with procedures.

Trimada said many journalists did not understand the complexity of guns, often giving the wrong description of the type of firearms used and their caliber.

He noted a certain cynicism in some news reports, which suggested that officers missed their targets, aiming to only disable a suspect, but hitting him in the chest instead.

"Shooting is not easy. Not every one can hit a target. A newcomer would even tremble holding a firearm," Trimada said.

"The police's tasks are not as easy as turning over your hand," he added. (emb)