Guyanese participate in CBSI-funded course on combating gun, ammo trafficking

Last Updated on Tuesday, 3 June 2014, 13:53 by GxMedia

Senior police officers together with representatives from the Attorney General’s Chambers and the Director of Public Prosecutions participated in a U.S.-funded specialized training course May 28-30 to assist security sector officials in strengthening coordination, communication, and cooperation in firearms trafficking cases, the American embassy here said.

The course, conducted by trainers from the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC), addressed issues of firearms proliferation and armed violence, international instruments and legal frameworks related to firearms trafficking, and firearms crime scene management and chain of custody issues.  Participants were awarded certificates of completion by U.S. Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission Bryan Hunt.  Assistant Commissioner of Police Balram Persaud also attended the ceremony.

This course complements the January 2014 UNLIREC  hand over to the Guyana Police Force and Guyana Defense Force of hydraulic shears and a small-arms ammunition burning tank to destroy weapons and ammunition.  UNLIREC received US$ 1.7 million from the United States Government to administer the destruction and stockpile management program in Guyana, and other countries in the Caribbean including Barbados, Dominica, and St. Kitts and Nevis.

This program, funded through the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI), helps strengthen capacity and provide practical skills to relevant security officials working in this critically important area.  Through such CBSI partnerships, the United States and Guyana seek to enhance the bilateral security relationship to create a partnership to combat transnational crime, develop strong security institutions in Guyana, and advance the safety and security of the citizens of Guyana.