Posted: Tuesday, November 4, 2025. 10:49 am CST.
By Zoila Palma: Recently, several Belizean officers and technicians have completed a Shooting Incident Reconstruction Course hosted by the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC), strengthening national capacities to investigate and reconstruct firearm-related crimes.
The training, funded by the Government of the United States, took place in Belmopan City from October 27 to 31, under the guidance of UNLIREC technical advisors Frank Grosspietsch and Jason Francis.
According to Jason Francis, Senior Policy Advisor at UNLIREC, the course responds directly to the high number of gun-related incidents in the region.
“This course basically revolves around reconstructing shooting crime scenes. We help investigators whether they are crime scene investigators, police criminal investigators, or forensic firearm officials from the National Forensic Science Service,” Francis explained. “We support them to reconstruct the crime scene and determine where the shooter may have stood, where the firearms were pointed, and the impact of the bullets or cartridge cases.”
The five-day intensive course brought together 9 technicians from the National Forensic Science Service, and officers from various departments of the Belize Police Department, and one major from the Belize Defence Force.
The Ministry of Home Affairs noted that through a mix of theoretical and practical sessions, participants were trained in safe firearm handling, evidence preservation, wound ballistics, bullet trajectory analysis, and photographic documentation of crime scenes.
Participants also engaged in simulation exercises at a live firing range, where they recreated mock crime scenes to practice reconstructing real world shooting incidents. The program covered chemical testing techniques including the sodium rhodizonate and dithiooxamide tests for detecting lead and copper residues, and explored the limitations and applications of gunshot residue (GSR) analysis.
Minister of Home Affairs and New Growth Industries Kareem Musa, visited the participants during the training.
Minister Musa thanked the United States Embassy and UNRILEC for the training for our Belizean professionals. “Gun violence has plagued us over the past few decades and this training will help to determine the angle a weapon was fired. Participants will now be able to apply all that they have learned in their profession.”
In closing remarks, representatives from the United Nations along with Deputy Commissioner of Police Bart Jones and Assistant Superintendent Franzine Solano, Commandant Of the Training Academy commended the collaboration and emphasized the importance of forensic expertise in strengthening justice systems. Certificates of completion were presented to all participants.
The course forms part of UNLIREC’s continued efforts to implement the Caribbean Firearms Roadmap, which aims to reduce illicit arms trafficking and improve investigative standards throughout the region.
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The post Forensic Training helps Belize reconstruct the truth behind gun crimes appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
Posted: Tuesday, November 4, 2025. 10:49 am CST. By Zoila Palma: Recently, several Belizean officers and technicians have completed a Shooting Incident Reconstruction Course hosted by
The post Forensic Training helps Belize reconstruct the truth behind gun crimes appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
