The Manitoba government is investing $5.2 million to establish a state-of-the-art Crime Gun Lab in the province to support firearm-related investigations.

“The lab will support professional, robust and dedicated investigations into firearms trafficking in Manitoba and enable the comprehensive analysis and archiving of all crime guns within the province, enhance intelligence co-ordination on illegal firearm trafficking, increase the number of firearms investigations and prosecutions, and ultimately reduce the use of illegal firearms and gun violence in the province,” said Manitoba, Justice Minister Kelvin Goertzen.

The new lab is expected to reduce the time it takes to conduct a forensic examination of ballistic evidence which is needed for court. The real-time co-ordination of firearm and violent crime investigations the Crime Gun Lab will provide to law enforcement will be critical for effective crime gun analysis and suppression, the minister noted.

“We need to continue to do everything we can to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and to ensure they are quickly held to account when they do make the decision to use a firearm to commit a crime,” said Insp. Paul Peddle, officer in charge, Central Plains Area for the Manitoba RCMP. “The Crime Gun Lab is an important step forward and the RCMP in Manitoba, and all communities within its jurisdiction, will benefit greatly from this new critical resource.”

The province has also committed $3.1 million in annual operating funding.

The province is expecting that the creation of the lab will help to significantly reduce gun violence in Manitoba.