Government taking strong position against illegal firearms – Gonsalves

With 14 of the 16 homicides committed here in 2016 being by the gun, the government and the constabulary are concerned.

However, being a government that takes the issue of citizens’ security seriously, things have been put in place to fight the upsurge in gun violence.{{more}}

So said Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves while making a ministerial statement in Parliament last Tuesday.

He said in comparison, last year there were 25 homicides here, 11 of them by firearm.

With the numbers on the rise this year, the government has taken a strong position against firearms and is seeking to ferret out the holders of illegal guns.

He said that the government, a few years ago, amended the law and moved the term of imprisonment for illegal possession of a firearm from one year to seven years.

According to Gonsalves, who is also Minister of National Security, a number of persons who did not know the law are discovering, when they go before the court, that the penalties are severe.

He stressed that persons who want to own an illegal firearm “are in great danger” when they go before the courts as moving the penalty to seven years means that even for a first offence, they are likely to be imprisoned.

“We have taken all of these steps, and I want to say additionally…I want to assure everyone that there is ongoing, a heightened program for taking illicit firearms off the streets,” said Gonsalves who revealed that recently, the police removed a Tech 9 and a 9 mm from the hands of criminals.

“I just want the public to be assured that we are taking a range of steps, some I cannot announce, but the police has an active program.”

He added that SVG does not produce firearms or bullets, so it is safe to say that the illegal guns are brought here by drug runners and originate from Central and South America and the United States. He noted however that the guns are largely, but not solely tied to the trafficking in drugs.

The Prime Minister also called for the cooperation of the general public while stressing that the legal framework for the granting of licenses to law abiding citizen has been improved and is no longer controlled solely by the Commissioner of Police, but by a wider group.

He noted that with this new system, more firearm licences are being granted but he has received a number of complaints about the pace at which the process goes and he has spoken to the persons responsible to have the process expedited. (LC)