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Holness makes tough gun talk

A tough-talking Prime Minister Andrew Holness said that a new Firearms Bill will be brought to Parliament this year, which will contain proposals for harsh penalties for the possession of illegal guns.

"Eighty-five per cent of all homicides in Jamaica are committed using an illegal firearm, meaning a gun that was brought into the country illegally, never registered in the national firearm database, and the owner was never put through a process to determine whether they are fit and proper," Holness said.

"Early this year, we will bring a new Firearms Bill to Parliament that will make it clear that the harshest consequences will flow from the possession of illegal guns," the prime minister said in his New Year's Day message.

In November, Holness, speaking at the Jamaica Labour Party's 78th Annual Conference at the National Indoor Sports Centre in St Andrew, said that the harshest penalties must be given to anyone found with an illegal gun. He said that the death penalty should be the starting point.

In his New Year's Day message, Holness said that the possession of an illegal weapon increases the means and likelihood of serious crimes, such as murders, being committed.

"Legal firearms do not pose a criminal threat. It is the proliferation of illegal guns which must be addressed with new legislation to create the highest possible consequence and deterrence for acquisition, dealing, possession or use of an illegal firearm. All Jamaicans should speak with one voice against the illegal possession of firearms," Holness said.

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Montague wants locally trained pilots

Transport Minister Robert Montague said he would love to see more Jamaicans being trained as pilots locally.

The minister, while on a tour of the Tinson Pen-based Aeronautical School of the West Indies (ASWI) in St Andrew last Wednesday, said that more than 60,000 pilots are needed globally. He also said that an estimated 3,000 persons from Jamaica are in South Florida, in the United States of America, doing pilot training.

"The aim is to get a lot of those Jamaicans home to be trained here. Jamaican pilots are known for their skills and technical ability," Montague said.

He said that with training being offered at the ASWI, the ministry is hoping that this will enable more Jamaicans to be trained locally. The school was recently certified by the Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority.

Montague said that his ministry is pushing to have more landing strips and more Jamaicans owning airplanes, as the COVID-19 pandemic is forcing more persons to do their own flying. "Having a plane is not a luxury, it is now a necessity," he said, noting that more landing strips will be approved to increase flights.

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Golding calls for comprehensive crime-fighting plan

Opposition Leader Mark Golding has called for a more comprehensive approach from the Government in tackling violent crimes this year.

Golding, in his New Year's message, noted that there was a 10 per cent increase in murders in 2021, when compared with 2020. He said that violent crime continued to blight the nation and that "we need to see the full roll-out of the tools available to bring this scourge under control".

"We would like to see the more comprehensive and effective use of the Jamaica Defence Force and the Jamaica Constabulary Force in Zones of Special Operations to bring hotspots under control, supported by curfews, cordon and search, the intense usage of the anti-gang and anti-scamming legislation, DNA evidence and other lawful measures permitted by our Constitution that do not violate the basic fundamental rights of our people," Golding said.

His call for a more comprehensive action on crime-fighting comes six weeks after the parliamentary opposition voted against the extension of states of emergency that were imposed in St James, Westmoreland, Hanover, St Andrew South, Kingston West, Kingston Central and Kingston East police divisions.

In his New Year's message, Golding said, "We need to see more action to strengthen the legislative tools to support law enforcement, including enhanced surveillance capabilities and updating of the legislation against illegal guns."

"We also need to see a more balanced approach to crime prevention, including investments to address the structural failures in the education system that promote inter-generational poverty and inequality in our society, and national programmes to give hope and opportunities to vulnerable youths who have left school with little or nothing to show for it, all too often ending up taking the wrong path in their lives to the detriment of us all," Golding added.