Police murder prompts Janik to propose liberalization of gun use by officers

Interior Minister Krzysztof Janik has said he will propose easing restrictions on the use of firearms by police officers, following Saturday's murder of a policeman in Parole near Warsaw. "The bandits demonstrated extreme brutality. There will be revenge," said Janik, commenting on the case. "A policeman should not be forced to shout and fire warning shots before taking aim at criminals. It's about life. If bandits don't value life, the police should be given a free hand," he went on. A survey by the Zycie daily reveals that in many cases policemen hesitate to use their guns because they think they may be branded as criminals. Experts underline that the problem lies chiefly in the attitude of prosecutors and not in the law. Former Interior Minister Marek Biernacki labeled Janik's proposal "slightly demagogic". (Zycie, pp. 1, 3) M.K.