Our police officers are notorious for their abuse of firearms even though the law demands strict accountability for pistols, rifles and bullets, reporting of firearm use, and investigation of fatalities linked to the actions of police officers.
The courts, in the event of a prosecution, are left at the mercy of eyewitnesses to determine which officer fired a weapon. In any case, eyewitnesses are routinely intimidated and even threatened when willing to provide evidence. A new approach is urgently required.
The solution should be a mix of stricter procedures with technology. Every police firearm should carry a unique digital identifier, while every bullet handed out must be electronically logged against that weapon and officer.
At the forensic end, our security chiefs should strengthen databases so that cartridge cases and bullets recovered from crime scenes can be matched systematically with test-fired bullets from the firearms.
The National Police Service already recognises ballistic examination and database maintenance as key functions, but cases of police officers abusing their trust pile up each year.
Body cameras, where necessary, could provide extra authentication by recording encounters that become subject to investigations.
The Independent Policing Oversight Authority must move with speed. It already investigates deaths and serious injuries caused by police action and has called for greater cooperation, including the submission of firearms for ballistic examination.
A police uniform should not become a shelter for criminals in uniform. Technology must become part of the accountability process.
Quote of the Day: “National security is the first duty of government but we are also committed to reversing the substantial erosion of civil liberties.” —Former British Prime Minister Theresa May was born on October 1, 1956
