Thunder Bay police have introduced a new ballistics lab to expedite the processing of firearms-related evidence. Unveiled at Thunder Bay police headquarters on Balmoral Street, the lab, housed within a container, is expected to streamline investigative procedures.
According to Ryan Doucette, a forensic identification sergeant with Thunder Bay police, the lab will enable authorities to compare cases and projectiles recovered from shooting scenes or seized firearms. Equipped with a water tank for firing weapons and recovering bullets and casings, the lab will facilitate the analysis of these items at the Centre of Forensic Sciences in Toronto to aid in comparisons with evidence from other shooting incidents.
Previously, sending firearms for test firing at the center meant waiting weeks or months for results. However, with the new lab in Thunder Bay, test firings can be conducted locally, allowing for quicker turnaround times of results in just a matter of days.
The construction of the lab was undertaken by Thunder Bay-based company Stongbox and was financed through Ontario’s Community Safety and Policing grant. Deputy police chief Jeremy Pearson emphasized the lab’s role in expediting firearms investigations, reducing delays, and enhancing overall efficiency in addressing evidence promptly to focus on subsequent incidents.
Pearson highlighted the surge in firearms-related incidents in Thunder Bay over recent years, necessitating improved processing capabilities to handle exhibits potentially linked to crime scenes across the province.