Nearly half of the Calcutta police officers put through a target-shooting test recently were way off the mark, proving that it doesn’t come as naturally to them as shooting off their mouths.

The 13 officers who reported for the test at the Police Training School were tested with a 9mm Browning pistol and a 9mm sub-machine carbine.

An inspector failed in both categories and two sub-inspectors and as many sergeants were found wanting in pistol shooting. One of the sergeants failed with the sub-machine carbine.

The officers had been given 10 rounds of ammunition each for the Browning pistol and the sub-machine carbine. Each round carried five marks and the officers had to score 25 out of 50 in either category to pass.

A senior officer of a north Calcutta police station said he wasn’t surprised by his colleagues flunking the test. “There is nothing unusual in this. Many of us have not tried our hand at shooting for years now. The last time I opened fire was in 1989-90, during an encounter with a gang.”

Some who attended previous testing-cum-training sessions and couldn’t shoot straight blamed their failure on “outdated” bullets manufactured in the 1980s. Others said age, failing eyesight and lack of practice had blunted their skills. But most officers said the ability to shoot straight wouldn’t count for much in their “service records”.

Training sessions are held regularly, but it’s not often that officers avail themselves of the opportunity to brush up on their skills. The reason: they are busy in field duty.

“The idea behind the training sessions is to ensure that one is able to handle the firearm properly and use it right, when required. In civil policing, firing can’t be the first option. Instead, the thrust is on remaining physically fit and mentally alert so that the person can quickly react to a given situation,” said Shivaji Ghosh, the additional commissioner of police.

He said it was wrong to assume that the police force was full of duds who could not shoot. “If you are looking for sharpshooters, we have them in the Special Action Force, Rapid Action Force and our commando unit.”

And where should one look for physical fitness?