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SOLVING CRIMES WITH UNDP SUPPORT

Advanced technology equipment handed over by UNDP, helps the Forensics Agency in Kosovo double percentage of solved crime cases

November 24^th, 2015

November 2015 - “The police force is the most trusted institution in Kosovo, so why do people still think they need a weapon for protection?”, says UNDP project manager and technical advisor in Kosovo, Alain Lapon, who is an expert on firearms. Through his hard work and engagement, he is determined to reduce gun crime in Kosovo* in partnership with, Mr Ilir Kukaj, Chief of the Ballistics Laboratory from the Kosovo Forensic Agency. Last year, UNDP Kosovo handed over advanced technology equipment to the Agency and to the Kosovo Police, to help them fight crime. The hand over, that is part of the continous UNDP KOSSAC (Kosovo Small Arms Control Project), included among others, a bullet recovery system/shooting lab to Kosovo Forensic Agency, as well as a tracing database and an ammunition identification database to the Kosovo police.

With Lapon’s support, through UNDP’s work in Kosovo UNDP SEESAC - which implements an EU-funded project, EUSAC, in Kosovo as part of its regional arms control programme in South East Europe - the technology and expertise of the ballistics lab are constantly evolving and showing conclusive results. The percentage of cases solved almost doubled in 2014 (58% of cases solved) compared to in 2013 (32% of cases solved), and is a testament to their successful cooperation.

The number of firearms in possession of civilians in Kosovo is still high considering that the war ended in 1999. According to latest analysis conducted by Small Arm Survey**, about 50% of Kosovo households possess weapons, many of them illegal. In fact the same survey puts the number of illegal weapons in civilian possession in Kosovo is around 260,000 weapons. These estimates are always tricky, however, due to the inherently clandestine nature of illegal arms.

“The equipment facilitated by UNDP had several impacts in our daily tasks. The Ballistics Test Fire Lab enables us to conduct test firing of the weapons and process them faster, better, and respond to the investigators swiftly. We can save individual characteristics of the test-fired standards (test-fired samples) and by this, we can have a higher identification rate of the weapons used in crime. Since the supply of the water tank, the number of hits and cases processed has raised and we are very satisfied with the achieved results,” says Chief of the Ballistics Laboratory, Mr Ilir Kukaj.

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More so, he adds, the new technology has benefited his team in several ways. The time to test fire weapons is shorter than before – this means they can process more cases annually. In addition, Kukaj notes that “By using the vacuum lifter we can collect test fired standards easier and also in the same time prevent accidental marks that would occur if using a mechanical tool”. And in regards to his team, he reveals that the new equipment has enhanced safety for the personnel, preventing incidents and injuries – especially when testing damaged weapons by using a remote test firing platform.

The Chief of the Ballistics Laboratory emphasizes the impact the advanced equipment has on the number of cases solved: “By having better samples we get better results – better individual characteristics means better results in identification. This has a big impact on the number of cases we process during one year. Last year we have processed more than 2,000 cases, which is 500 more cases than in 2013.”

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Lapon knows the Balkans intimately and has witnessed first-hand the invidious effect of gun violence on a civilian population, through his experience in the Belgian armed forces and the UN. He recalls a particularly tragic incident involving a man in Mitrovica, and the local use of shooting into the air when celebrating.

”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 in the back pulled the trigger again. The bullet went straight through the seat and into the driver’s back. He’s now paralyzed. It’s tragic. But I do think this incident had an impact on the perception of celebratory gunfire in the Balkans.”

The story is indeed a tragedy involving firearms, “but fortunately you very rarely hear gunshots in Pristina these days”, Lapon says. And when it comes to murders, he adds, a firearm was involved in about half of the murders committed last year.

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“So the use of guns is reduced, at least in terms of lethal injuries”. But a lot of work remains. The main problem today is the presence of illegal weapons.

Lapon believes the demand of illegal weapons can be achieved, among others, through voluntary surrender and legalization, confiscation of illegal weapons through intelligence police actions, a community safety approach, and by providing guidance to families on the safe storage of firearms and keep them away from children. Research has identified that children out of curiosity will pull the trigger when they find a weapon. He also stresses the need to address gender-based violence and increase convictions in these cases.

Although the new technical equipment has generated conclusive results with regards to increasing the number of solved crimes, Lapon is convinced that further actions can improve this percentage. This is why he has organized a number of workshops on the marking and tracing of weapons, and how to profile people/offenders who partake in this type of business. He also gives training on conversion, modus operandi in trafficking and what materials are needed.

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Furthermore, Alain Lapon has identified the need to provide guidance to border officials and produce risk assessments, as the outcome of these can be used for preventive measure. Equally important, he adds, is the involvement of the prosecutors and their cooperation with the police. *

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

**For more information: Handgun Ownership and Armed Violence in the Western Balkans

Footnotes

Story and Photos by Emilia Dungel - UNDP SEESAC/ Research and edited by Freya Morales - UNDP/NY www.undp.org

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FootNotes

Story and Photos by Emilia Dungel - UNDP SEESAC/ Research and edited by Freya Morales - UNDP/NY www.undp.org

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SOLVING CRIMES WITH UNDP SUPPORT

Advanced technology equipment handed over by UNDP, helps the Forensics Agency in Kosovo double percentage of solved crime cases

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