29th September 2021
Police responsible for border control completed training on detection of firearms trafficking
By GIS
The various departments and agencies of the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force responsible for border control have completed training on the detection of firearms trafficking. The training course focused on the detection of firearms trafficking through postal and fast parcels, and at land and maritime borders.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and CARICOM IMPACS facilitated the training which took place from September 21 to 24, 2021 at the Police Training Academy at La Toc.
CARICOM IMPACS, Regional Crime and Security Strategy Coordinator, Callixtus Joseph explained, that representatives of Saint Lucia and CARICOM IMPACS recently met with representatives of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to create a structured framework to assist the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force in enhancing its tracing capabilities.
“Getting illegal firearms off our streets and out of the hands of criminals means less violence and that means safer communities, you’d have a safer Vieux Fort, you’d have a safer Castries, a safer Anse La Raye and a safer Saint Lucia. CARICOM IMPACS through our collective action with national authorities in CARICOM, international authorities, civil society organizations, research institutions and other partners will work with the Government of Saint Lucia to prevent the trafficking of illicit firearms and ensure illicit guns do not end up on the streets.”
The training program was devised after CARICOM IMPACS and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime participated in a needs assessment and consultations with the Government of Saint Lucia. A number of issues were brought to the fore which required immediate action. They included the strengthening of the country’s firearms tracing mechanism; assisting criminal investigators to track the origin and purchaser of illegal firearms; providing support for the prosecution of traffickers.
Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Department of Home Affairs, Ricky Quinlan highlighted the challenges faced by Saint Lucia in detecting firearms trafficking.
“The Caribbean, with Saint Lucia being no exception has been grappling with the entry of illicit firearms and the misuse of these firearms primarily by criminal elements to terrorize, steal pillage and take lives. The crime landscape has changed completely as guns have become the preferred weapons for settling scores no matter how trivial, resulting, often times in homicides. That is why the Government continues to subscript to the Caribbean firearms roadmap. It is very well articulated that the UNODC global firearms project supports regional efforts to counter the illicit circulation of firearms and to curtail the linkages to other serious crimes.”
The training program has equipped Saint Lucia Police with additional capabilities to identify suspects, gang traffickers, and patterns of violent gang crime.
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