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In Kosovo*, technology reduces crime and violence

September 8^th, 2016

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In Kosovo*, technology reduces crime and violence

“The police force is the most trusted institution in Kosovo, so why do people still think they need a weapon for protection?” asks firearms expert, Alain Lapon.

Mr. Lapon is also the project manager for UNDP’s Kosovo Small Arms Control Project (KOSSAC), and is determined to reduce gun crime and violence in a country still recovering from a brutal war in the 1990s. According to a recent survey, 50 percent of households still possess firearms, many of them illegal.

In 2015, UNDP through the KOSSAC project provided advanced technical equipment to the Kosovo Police to help them fight crime. A bullet recovery system, a shooting lab, where police can test weapons, a tracing database and an ammunition identification database were all handed over to the Kosovo Forensic Agency.

“The equipment facilitated by UNDP had several impacts in our daily tasks. By having better samples we get better results in identification. This has a big impact on the number of cases we process each year. Last year we processed more than 2,000 cases, 500 more cases than in 2013,” said Ilir Kukaj, Chief of the Ballistics Section of the Kosovo Forensic Agency.

The Ballistics Test Fire Lab enables the Kosovo Police to test fire weapons and process results better and faster. As a result they are able to solve investigations quicker than ever before, improving evidence-based access to justice.

In addition to crime, Mr. Lapon has witnessed first-hand the effects of accidental gun violence. He recalls a particularly tragic incident when a man was shot during a celebration in the city of Mitrovica, where the firing guns into the air has a long tradition.

“He was driving a car and there was another man in the back who fired celebratory shots into the air. Without realizing that one bullet was left in the gun, the man pulled the trigger again and the bullet went straight through the seat and into the driver’s back. He’s now paralyzed. It’s tragic,” recalled Mr. Lapon.

Because of growing awareness and incidents like these, you very rarely hear gunshots in the capital Pristina these days. But when it comes to crime, illegal firearms were used in about half of all murders committed last year.

“While the use of guns and lethal injuries has reduced, the main problem today is still the presence of illegal weapons,” added Mr. Lapon.

He believes the circulation of illegal weapons can be reduced through voluntary surrender, as well as the confiscation of illegal weapons through police action.

The UNDP-supported KSACP project is a huge leap in the right direction. It also recognises the value of a properly equipped police force which will promote a more peaceful society in Kosovo (Goal 16) and help improve access to justice. These are important steps in the path towards a more sustainable development.

* References to Kosovo shall be understood to be in the context of Security Council resolution 1244 (1999)

Footnotes

Story and Photos by Emilia Dungel - UNDP SEESAC/ Research and edited by Freya Morales - UNDP

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FootNotes

Story and Photos by Emilia Dungel - UNDP SEESAC/ Research and edited by Freya Morales - UNDP

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In Kosovo*, technology reduces crime and violence

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