'During the pandemic-imposed restrictions of 2021, Argentinian society faced an unrelated outbreak of femicides committed by members of the country’s security forces.
There are more than one billion firearms in the world, the vast majority of which are in civilian hands, according to 2018 research. The Small Arms Survey presents its findings on the number of firearms held by civilians, law enforcement agencies, and military forces in a series of three Briefing Papers.
Measures in Nepal have helped the country increase the number and scope of inclusion of women in its security sector; but female security providers continue to face challenges. Women in the police, army and armed police force tackle crime and insecurity in its various forms, but also serve as role models in their communities. A new analysis from the Small Arms Survey finds, however, that barriers to female participation remain, ranging from continuing demands in the home to persistent gender discrimination inside institutions and within society more broadly.
Killings during ‘legal interventions’—the ‘killing of civilians by law enforcement officials, or killings of law enforcement officials on duty’—accounted for an estimated 19,000 violent deaths each year during 2007–2012; which is 4 per cent of the 508,000 total violent deaths each year during that period.
Small arms held by law enforcement agencies, while highly visible to the public, are relatively few in number in global terms.
Estimating Law Enforcement Firearms, a Research Note from the Small Arms Survey, shows the latest law enforcement firearms estimations for selected countries. It also discusses the principles and methodology for making these estimations, and reflects on differences in practices and culture relating to firearms.