GPF’s forensic capacity boosted with equipment from CARICOM, US

Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn (4th left); US Ambassador to Guyana, Nicole Theriot (centre), Commissioner of Police, Clifton Hicken (4th right), and Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum (2nd right), pose for a photo at the opening of the CARICOM Crime Gun Intelligence Unit (CGIU) sensitisation and awareness workshop in Guyana

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.