The United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) in collaboration with the National Police of Colombia, conducted the Firearms and Ammunition Evidence Management Course (EMC) at the “Simón Bolívar” Police Academy located in Tuluá, Valle del Cauca.
In this edition of the EMC, held for the first time in Colombia, over thirty civil servants from the National Police and the Prosecutor’s Office were trained. During the course they received theoretical and practical training in identifying firearms and ammunition, good practices for ensuring appropriate crime scene management, evidence processing and analysis, as well as the correct application of the chain-of-custody system, among other useful tools to improve investigation processes and intelligence related to cases involving firearms and ammunition.
The course boasted the participation of a varied group of civil servants. Included in the group were patrollers, first responders, experts, police personnel specialized in the areas of criminal and ballistic investigation, as well as regional prosecutors from Valle del Cauca.
As part of the development of EMC and the cross-cutting theme of this course, the importance of incorporating the gender perspective in criminal investigation processes was emphasized. Similarly, participants were urged to strengthen communication and cooperation among all stakeholders in the different stages of judicial investigation in order to optimize their collective and individual efforts in dealing with firearm-related offences. Special attention should be placed on cases of gender-based violence, in this way contributing to a reduction in levels of impunity and an increase in levels of citizen confidence in justice and security institutions.
To conclude, the Director of the “Simón Bolívar” Police Academy, expressed his gratitude to UNLIREC for organizing this course, highlighting the strategic importance this kind of specialized training holds for the National Police. Not only does it align with institutional priorities, but it also contributes to the capacity building of police personnel and other civil servants, allowing them to provide better service to the communities.
This activity was prepared as part of the “Building Momentum for the Regional Implementation of A/RES/65/69 on Women, Disarmament, Non-Proliferation and Arms Control” project, which is implemented thanks to the financial assistance of the Government of Canada.