Tijuana police

In one the odder stories I've read in a while, police who patrol tourist areas in Tijuana were issued slingshots and bags of ball bearings. Their guns had been temporarily confiscated because of charges that corrupt officers were working with drug traffickers.

I'm trying to conjure up the image. Police have a slingshot hanging out their back pocket like Dennis the Menace, and if they see a problem, they yell, "Halt, or I'll shoot!" while they fumble with the thing, ball bearings flying every which way. Are there professional slingshot masters to teach them how to use it?