L.A. Journalists Invited to Get Asses Kicked as Part of Police-Beat Training

By Dennis Romero Tue., Jan. 25 2011 at 9:01 AM

Police Investigative Media Academy

Turns out some journalists do have first-hand experience with police displaying "use-of-force" techniques. There was that little incident in 2007 in which a line of LAPD cops pushed over people in MacArthur Park, including a few journalists. (Some sued and won).

Really, if a reporter needs training on how officers display their use-of-force techniques, all we have to do is duck our head under some yellow tape, barriers that our police press ID cards were supposed to make go away.

Of course, if that's not enough fun, journalists can now attend the Police Investigative Media Academy in Southern California this spring.

There scribes will learn what it's like to be handcuffed and searched (again, not really a foreign experience), shot with "impact weapons," and sprayed with "chemical agents."

Wow. More fun than hiring a dominatrix for the night (says Charlie Sheen).

The week-long Police Investigative Media Academy all happens April 4 through 8 in Corona and it only costs ... $2,500 (reconsidering that dominatrix?).

Here's the pitch from Ron Martinelli, the forensic criminologist who's putting this thing on:

"At PIMA, we develop leaders who seek the truth so they can report the story accurately. The investigative reporter is armed with the tools necessary to get the inside track when they arrive on the scene of the crime."

Getting shot at by less-than-lethal weapons and handcuffed will give you the edge at a crime scene? Things are getting competitive in journalism.

[Info].

Tags:

Corona, journalism, LAPD, May Day melee, media, police

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Good Idea

Monday-morning-quarterbacking uses of force is very different from the split-second thought process that goes into a UOF. In the same way LEOs have to qualify to use those tools it makes sense to offer that opportunity to members of the media. Understanding the laws and policy/procedure will make for more accurate reporting on UOFs. The media serves to keep law enforcement in check but it itself is unchecked and has tremendous power to incite or calm the masses. The media helped to rile the public up expecting a murder conviction with regards to the killing of Oscar Grant, which was not the crime. The media helped to incite public outrage with the killings of Manuel Jamines and Reggie Doucet when preliminary reports indicate they were both in-policy shootings. The current attitude is that any UOF is excessive, regardless of the facts. The current attitude is that TASERs should both be elevated to deadly force when people are severely injured from their use, AND they should be less-lethal options when suspects pose deadly threats. Uninformed reporting sets the public up for disappointment and distrust of its police forces. If more reporters had firsthand knowledge of the effects of TASERs, their effective range, considerations for their use, when they would not be effective, etc. (similarly for chemical agents, batons, and firearms) they would be better equipped to answer questions such as "why wasn't a TASER used?" and "why didn't they shoot him in the legs?" Reporters would more accurately be able to report on considerations when dealing with deadly-thread suspects, both armed (Jamines) and unarmed (Doucet) and would be more knowledgeable of the dangers of being disarmed by either (Ofcr. Ryan Bonaminio and Chief Ralph Painter).