O.A.S. Donates Firearms Marking Machine to the Police Department

Luiz Coimbra

The Belize Police Department has received a donation of a firearm marking machine from the Organization of American States (O.A.S.). The equipment was purchased with funds provided by the European Union and will be used by the Ministry of Home Affairs to improve controls against the smuggling of illegal weapons. The machine will be effective in improving firearm traceability, which is key in identifying weapons used in crimes, as well as in inventory management. OAS Representative in Belize, Luiz Coimbra, handed over the machine to Commissioner of Police, Chester Williams in Belize City on Wednesday. ComPol Williams says the donation will certainly help the police to determine how firearms are moved across the region.

Luiz Coimbra, OAS Representative in Belize

“According to the Gun Policy website, Belize had in 2017 almost 30,000 under-registered and illicit firearms, though marking weapons in Belize will be an important practice that will help law enforcement to identify firearms. The unique markings can be used to trace the origin of the weapon and track the movement of the weapon from the manufacturer to the user. This information can be used to investigate crime, prevent the illegal trade of weapons, and hold individuals accountable for their actions. Since 2020, the O.A.S has supported the Government of Belize in improving its capacity to manage the life cycle of firearms and ammunition to avert diversion to the illicit market. The O.A.S has offered training to the police as well as the installation of software to control the inventory of police weapons and ammunition. The O.A.S supports the government in reviewing the Firearms Act with detailed analysis of what the gaps are, considering international standards.”

Chester Williams

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police

“While firearms can be a luxurious item for some people, particularly those who are engaged in sport hunting and firearm shooting clubs, they can also be a deadly instrument to use in the commission of crime. So as a department, we have commenced the marking of firearms but only for the police department. So every firearm that the police department uses does carry a mark from us. I would like to see if we can extend the marking to every firearm that comes into the country that we ensure that those firearms are marked upon entering before they are sold by the gun dealer or even after they are sold by the gun dealer; once they come to license the firearm, we mark the firearm and then we give it to the person. That will be a larger project for us to look at but certainly there’s a need for us to ensure that every firearm that comes into the country is marked. That way we will have a greater appreciation of how firearms are being moved within the region.”