From 16—21 October, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) delivered the Introduction to Operational Forensic Ballistics Training and conducted assessments on Forensic Ballistic capabilities and Inventory Management at the Royal St. Kitts and Nevis Police Force. These activities are in line with the Caribbean Firearms Roadmap (CFRM), particularly to the priorities identified by the State in its National Action Plan, aimed at bolstering law enforcement capacity to combat illicit firearms and ammunition trafficking and their illicit possession and misuse, and decreasing the risk of diversion of firearms and ammunition from government- and non-government-owned arsenals.
As part of the assistance, UNLIREC facilitated an introductory training in Operational Forensic Ballistics to four officials from the Royal St. Kitts and Nevis Police Force and St Kitts and Nevis Defence Forceaimed at educating forensic officials and other staff to the requirement for, and capabilities of, forensic ballistics in support of criminal investigations and the counter-proliferation of firearms.
Additionally, the assessment on forensic ballistics capabilities and evidence management were carried out with the aim of gauging the capabilities at the forensic laboratory, as well as the security measures and inventory management practices at the Police facilities. The assessments were conducted in line with international guidelines, including the United Nations Modular Small-arms-control Implementation Compendium (MOSAIC) and the International Ammunition Technical Guidelines (IATG) and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
UNLIREC, as the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs’ Regional Centre, seeks to advance the cause of practical disarmament in Latin America and the Caribbean as part of its commitment to support Member States in their implementation of international disarmament and non-proliferation instruments, in particular, the 2001 UN Programme of Action on Small Arms. This assistance was made possible with the generous support of the governments of the United States of America and Canada.
From 25 – 28 January in St Kitts and Nevis, and from 31 January – 2 February in Trinidad and Tobago, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC), in collaboration with the Governments of both States, hosted 2 Serial Number Restoration Courses.
Obliterating serial numbers on firearms to mask their origin, is a common practice for criminals, facilitating both illegal use and illicit trafficking. The absence of serial numbers on firearms recovered at crime scenes in the Caribbean hinders the ability of States to trace all illicit firearms. The national Serial Number Restoration courses were developed to support States’ efforts to address the tracing of illicit firearms, through the provision of the technical training to forensic firearms scientists who are often required to restore the characters and numbers that have been obliterated.
In St Kitts and Nevis, 6 firearm examiners, including 2 women, from the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force participated in the training. Similarly, in Trinidad and Tobago, 1 firearm examiner from the Forensic Science Centre and 3 crime scene officers, 1 female, from the Police Service, participated in the course which consisted of hands-on use of Magnetic Particle Recovery and Chemical Etching Methods to recover obliterated serial numbers on firearms.
Serial number restoration has proven to be a key and necessary tool to trace firearms back to their last known legal owner and make use of the various regional and international tracing platforms. Throughout the region, restoration techniques have been used to support criminal investigations, successfully trace firearms and disband trafficking networks.
The Serial Number Restoration course contributes towards the implementation of Goal 3 of the Caribbean Firearms Roadmap, Bolster law enforcement capacity to combat illicit firearms and ammunition trafficking and their illicit possession and misuse, and ammunition, and ultimately reducing firearms-related crimes and armed violence in the Caribbean. The course was made possible thanks to support of the governments of Canada and United States of America.
UNLIREC, as the regional organ of the UN Office for Disarmament, seeks to advance the cause of practical disarmament in Latin America and the Caribbean as part of its commitment to support Member States in their implementation of international disarmament and non-proliferation instruments, in particular, the 2001 UN Programme of Action on Small Arms.
On 20 January 2022, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) hosted the regional webinar on ‘Building a Crime Gun Preventive Strategy in the Caribbean’. The objective of the webinar was to discuss the key components of implementing a successful crime gun preventive strategy in the Caribbean.
Six CARICOM states, Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Guyana, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and The Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago were invited for the webinar. Over 45 officials (21 women) from ministries of Foreign Affairs, National Security/ Home Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Police Forces, Defence Forces, Forensic Laboratories, Intelligence Agencies and Customs of the 6 CARICOM States actively participated in the regional webinar.
The objective of this webinar was to discuss eight critical components of a successful crime gun preventive strategy. These included: stakeholder buy-in, regional approaches, ballistic imaging, overlaying technologies, knowing offenders and how they interact, using a single intelligence unit, public buy-in and, in the future, expanding a preventative strategy. UNLIREC highlighted that although no two strategies would be the same, and that innovation and ballistic imaging, are both fundamental to any effective crime gun preventive strategy. Furthermore, the importance of a collaborative effort between law enforcement agencies, customs agencies, forensic science laboratories and prosecuting offices was key.
This regional webinar, carried out in line with the 2001 UN Porgramme of Action on Small Arms and Sustainable Development Goal 16.4, contributes towards the implementation of Goal 3, ‘Bolster law enforcement capacity to combat illicit firearms and ammunition trafficking and their illicit possession and misuse’ of the Caribbean Firearms Roadmap, to regional efforts prevent illicit trafficking of firearms and ammunition, and ultimately reducing firearms-related crimes and armed violence in the Caribbean.
This webinar was generously sponsored by the Government of Canada. It forms part of a series of three regional webinars under the Canada-funded project ‘Support the Implementation of the Caribbean Firearms Roadmap’. UNLIREC, as the regional organ of the UN Office for Disarmament, seeks to advance the cause of practical disarmament in Latin America and the Caribbean as part of its commitment to support Member States in their implementation of international disarmament and non-proliferation instruments, in particular, the 2001 UN Programme of Action on Small Arms.
On 7 December 2021, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC), hosted a regional webinar on Privately Made Firearms and Implications for Forensic Analysis with 10 CARICOM States. The purpose of the webinar was to discuss how to obtain forensic data from privately made firearms, also known as ‘ghost guns’, using toolmark examination and the potential value of comparing toolmarks with recovered tools for investigative purposes.
‘Ghost guns’ refers to unregulated and untraceable firearms that are built by unassembled and partially manufactured parts. Although illicitly manufactured firearms are not a prevalent phenomenon in the Caribbean, as it is in North America and Europe, several countries in the region have reported seizures of these firearms in the past years. Such seizures signal an alarming trend that may increase the levels of armed violence in Caribbean countries if not prevented.
A total of 68 national officials, including 27 women, from ministries of National Security and Home Affairs, Police Forces, Defence Forces, Forensic Labs and Customs Departments of Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Bahamas, Belize, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago participated in the regional webinar.
UNLIREC presented on various tool operating processes and how resulting toolmarks may appear on illicitly fabricated or converted firearms. It also highlighted how the comparison and identification of toolmarks can provide firearms investigators with information concerning the type and size of tools used to fabricate weapons. In addition, the participants discussed the value of creating a database for privately made firearms recovered in the region to facilitate information sharing among forensic labs and investigators, recognize firearms, trace recovered cartridge cases and prove links between cases. Such a database would include the toolmarks on firearms, the type of tools used to make them, high definition photographs of these marks and the type of firearms recovered.
This webinar, carried out in line with the 2001 UN Porgramme of Action on Small Arms and Sustainable Development Goal 16.4, contributes towards the implementation of Goal 3 of the Caribbean Firearms Roadmap: “Bolster law enforcement capacity to combat illicit firearms and ammunition trafficking and their illicit possession and misuse”.
The Regional Webinar on Privately Made Firearms and Implications for Forensic Analysis was generously sponsored by Canada. It followed another regional webinar on Combatting “ghost guns” on 15 November 2021 and is part of a series of regional thematic webinars organized and delivered by UNLIREC to prevent and combat crime gun and illicit trafficking in the region.
UNLIREC, as the regional organ of the UN Office for Disarmament, seeks to advance the cause of practical disarmament in Latin America and the Caribbean as part of its commitment to support Member States in their implementation of international disarmament and non-proliferation instruments, in particular, the 2001 UN Programme of Action on Small Arms.
From 9 – 12 November and from 15 – 18 November, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC), in collaboration with the Governments of Guyana and Antigua and Barbuda, hosted two Serial Number Restoration Courses.
Obliterating serial numbers on firearms to mask their origin facilitates trafficking and illegal use. Both common practices for criminals. The absence of serial numbers on firearms recovered at crime scenes in the Caribbean hinders the ability of States to trace all illicit firearms. Therefore, national serial number restoration courses were developed to support States’ efforts to address the fact that the forensic firearms scientist are often required to restore the characters and numbers that were obliterated.
In Guyana, twelve firearm examiners, police officers and scientific officers from the Guyana Police Force and Guyana Forensic Science Laboratory, took part in the Serial Number Restoration Course from 9 – 12 November. Similarly, in Antigua and Barbuda from 15 – 18 November, six police officers and forensic analysts from the Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda and the Antigua and Barbuda Forensic Services took part in their national Serial Number Restoration Course. Both courses consisted of hands-on use of Magnetic Particle Recovery and Chemical Etching Methods to recover obliterated serial numbers on firearms.
Serial restoration has proven to be a key and necessary tool to trace firearms back to their last known legal owner and make use of the various regional and international tracing platforms. Throughout the region, restoration techniques have been used to support criminal investigations, successfully trace firearms and disband trafficking networks.
This course complemented recent initiatives undertaken by both Guyana and Antigua and Barbuda including their adoption of the Caribbean Firearms Roadmap and creation of National Action Plans. The Serial Number Restoration course contributes towards the implementation of Goal 3 of the Caribbean Firearms Roadmap, Bolster law enforcement capacity to combat illicit firearms and ammunition trafficking and their illicit possession and misuse, and ammunition, and ultimately reducing firearms-related crimes and armed violence in the Caribbean. Both activities were made possible thanks to support of the government of Canada
UNLIREC, as the regional organ of the UN Office for Disarmament, seeks to advance the cause of practical disarmament in Latin America and the Caribbean as part of its commitment to support Member States in their implementation of international disarmament and non-proliferation instruments, in particular, the 2001 UN Programme of Action on Small Arms.
