The Guyana Police Force (GPF) has received a boost to its forensic capacity to test firearms recovered from crime scenes with the acquisition of equipment, courtesy of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS) in collaboration with the United States (US) Department of State Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL).
According to a release yesterday from IMPACS, the equipment – one 50 BMG bullet trap, and one automated ballistic intelligence system (IBIS BRASSTRAX) – will support the GPF in solving firearms-related incidents and the prosecution of perpetrators.
This was officially announced at the opening ceremony of the CARICOM Crime Gun Intelligence Unit (CGIU) sensitisation and awareness workshop which took place from October 23 to 25 in Georgetown, Guyana, the fourth country to have hosted this workshop after St. Kitts and Nevis, Barbados and Grenada.
Speaking at the opening of the workshop, Minister of Home Affairs of Guyana, Robeson Benn, stated that the CARICOM region continues to suffer the consequences of illegal weapons, which is responsible for an increase in gun crime. He shared that year-to-date statistics in Guyana show that the GPF has recovered 149 firearms, 140 of which were illegal, 56 being examined on the comparison microscope, and 84 inspected to identify the type, model and caliber of the weapons with 101 being pistols. It has also been observed that a significant amount of the weapons recovered are shipped in barrels and entering Guyana through its commercial maritime ports.
“It has been a growing issue for gun-related crimes going to court and being dismissed especially those charges for possession of an illegal firearm. We want this to change. The Ministry is in the drafting stages of the modelling of a Firearms Control Bill where we expect a large amount of the weighty issues to face the fullness of the Act,” he assured.
Minister Benn added that the GPF was fortunate to receive assistance from CARICOM IMPACS and INL, and acknowledged that the involvement of international organisations was crucial in the fight against illegal firearms, as they bring expertise, resources, and best practices from global experiences. He also pointed out that Guyana’s collaboration with entities such as INL, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and other US government agencies, underscores a robust partnership aimed at enhancing the capacity of local law enforcement agencies.
Meanwhile, CARICOM IMPACS Executive Director, Lieutenant Colonel Michael Jones, stated that since the establishment of the CGIU in 2023, the region has seen significant benefits and that there has been a marked improvement in collaboration with member states on firearms-related events, investigations, and enhanced coordination in handling cases.
“To date, the Unit has received approximately 82 firearms-related reports from member states, developed and disseminated 20 intelligence packages, and the Unit is currently supporting seven ongoing cases in Guyana. Most recently, quick action by the CGIU, member states, and US partners, have led to the detention of a suspect upon their return to the US and the reopening of a previously dormant case. There continues to be an increase in interception of firearms at the US border, and within CARICOM Member States, there is an increase in the number of port and inland seizures involving firearms, ammunition, magazines, and component parts,” he disclosed.
Lieutenant Colonel Jones reiterated that combatting firearms-related crimes required a unified approach and restated CARICOM IMPACS’ commitment to not only maintain operational support, but also to collaborate closely with partners to enhance the capabilities and capacities of the firearms units within the region. The release informed that CGIU, with support from the INL, has been working alongside US agencies such as ATF, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) to support firearm-related investigations through the provision of relevant and actionable intelligence.
Jones also took the opportunity to thank the US Government for their support of the CGIU. US Ambassador to Guyana, Nicole Theriot, who also attended the opening, noted that transnational criminal groups traffic small arms and ammunition throughout the Caribbean, threatening the region’s collective security, undermining regional stability, and driving irregular migration. She recognised that many of those firearms were coming from the US, and there was a deep desire for the US to take a very active role in helping combat that scourge.
The Ambassador disclosed that INL has invested more than US$2 million to help CARICOM establish the CGIU and that more steps were being taken by the US to eliminate the threats posed by illicit firearms including new regulations from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which will prohibit the shipping of cargo from the US to the Caribbean, under US$2,500, without any identifying information. This new requirement, she explained, will be implemented soon and will adjust US export regulations to require a complete manifest and proof of identification for all shippers for cargo going to the Caribbean, regardless of value, making it easier to trace.
“The United States really is working hard with our partners to help make Guyana a more secure and prosperous democracy and to help combat firearms trafficking from every angle throughout the Caribbean,” Ambassador Theriot reaffirmed.
According to the release, IMPACS and INL will also provide equipment to two additional member states in the coming months. The IBIS BRASSTRAX will allow them to digitally capture images of cartridge cases in 2D and 3D and view the impression details from multiple views and angles, while the bullet catcher can recover bullets from pistol and rifles test fires more cost effectively than water tanks and captures bullets undamaged so that examinations and comparisons can be made.
