All licensed firearms will be laser marked soon by the Police Service for monitoring and identification purposes. The exercise also would be done on illegal guns seized by authorities. National Security Minister, John Sandy, made the announcement yesterday at the signing of two security treaties with the Organisation of American States (OAS). Sandy said it was all part of efforts to curb gun-related crimes. The signing ceremony was held at the Ministry of National Security, Temple Court, Abercromby Street, Port-of-Spain. Sandy said an agreement had been signed between the Government and the OAS to provide laser-marking machines as part of the OAS promotion of firearms marking in Latin America and the Caribbean. He said members of the Police Service were currently being selected and trained to operate the machine. He said the machine and mandatory laser-marking would be implemented in one month's time.
He said marked firearms would allow officers to determine where the weapon came from, who it was assigned to and give them the ability to trace it. Sandy said the marking of firearms was currently mandatory in 12 South American countries. He said therefore any illegal firearms which were imported from South America could be traced back to their source. Sandy added: "We are not under any illusions that this will stop all criminal activity or stop the proliferation of arms. However, this signifies a step in the right direction." He said T&T also had signed a treaty to establish a public security observatory, with funding from the Canadian Government's Anti Crime Capacity Building Programme. Sandy said the objective of the observatory was to provide better tools for the Government to better understand the characteristics and trends of crime and violence affecting T&T. He said that understanding would allow for the ministry to tailor appropriate strategies and policies to improve public security. Sandy said equipment and training would be provided by the Canadian Government and the observatory would be established within a month. Pressed by the media as to how much money the Canadian Government was providing for the observatory project, Sandy said he did not wish to call a figure but assured the media "it was enough."