Ballistic training programme launched

THE firearm and toolmark examination training programme, which at its launch on Monday took on 23 new students, will seek to eliminate a backlog of about 7000 ballistic reports still waiting determination from pathologists. At the Police Academy in St James, director of the Forensic Science Centre, Dereck Sankar, said the course will train participants to match bullets and casings with firearms.

This, he said, is a key factor in completing investigations into shootings and firearm-related murders.

“We have now an accumulated backlog at the Forensic Science Centre, and as director I wanted to deal with it. We have over 7000 backlog cases.

The commissioner has alluded many times that he is not happy with that backlog.

“In firearm and tool mark examination, the human being is of major importance in performing microscopy, in matching the bullets back to the firearm and matching the casing back to the firearm.”

Sankar said the six-month course involves analysis of ammunition, gunshot residue testing, serial number restoration, analytical reporting, collection of evidence and preparing for court.

Commissioner of Police Gary Griffith said it was not surprising, given the six-year time frame in which ballistic testing takes to return with results, that there was a massive backlog.

“A time frame of six years is obviously unacceptable, and it results in victims feeling like justice would never be served. In other countries it would take six days. During the time, several things could take place – the victims could lose interest, the perpetrator could either be lost or missing in action somewhere along the line, and that affects the criminal justice system,” Griffith said.

“By identifying that under staffing is a key factor in creating this backlog, steps have been taken to rectify that situation.”

Minister of National Security, Stuart Young described supporting the programme a “no brainier” and said the programme long overdue. “Upon receiving the office of Minister of National Security and working closely with the Commissioner of Police, there were a couple things that we decided would be the mantra of this organisation in the fight against crime – intelligence driven operations, and use of technology.

There is the technology available to link the ballistics to various crimes.