Tijuana police issued slingshots in lew of guns

The police department has issued about 60 slingshots to officers in the violent border city of Tijuana, where soldiers confiscated police weapons two weeks ago on allegations of collusion with drug traffickers.Municipal police spokesman Fernando Bojorquez said Monday that the slingshots,
along
with bags
of ballbearings, were
given to officersthe slingshots, along with bags of ballbearings, were given to officers patrolling areas of the city visited by tourists.

Tijuana’s police force of 2,000 officers has been without guns since Jan. 5, but some patrol alongside armed state police.

President Felipe Calderon sent 3,300 soldiers and federal police to Tijuana at the beginning of January to hunt down drug gangs. The soldiers swept police stations and took officers’ guns for inspection amid allegations by federal investigators that a corrupt network of officers supports smugglers who traffic drugs into the U.S. The weapons are still being checked.

About 100 police demonstrated outside Tijuana town hall on Monday demanding the return of their guns. “The arms are our tools for work,” said officer Juan Manuel Nieves. “Do they want more police to be killed?”

More than 300 people were slain in Tijuana last year including 13 police officers.

[MSNBC]

Ok this would be funny if it wasn’t so sad. To try and track down if crimes where done by police, I assume they are doing ballistics tests on the guns, while also researching the police officers at the same time. To have a complete police force to be considered corrupt (in that they are disarmed) is bad enough. But to be issued slingshots instead of their guns back? That’s adding insult to injury.

Tags: Interesting, News