Rifle turned in under gun amnesty

An assault rifle was handed over to the Port Maria police in St Mary yesterday, in what Police Commissioner Major General Antony Anderson said is a clear signal that illegal firearm holders are willing to make use of the current gun amnesty that was approved in the Senate on November 4.

"A rifle has come in here and also rounds. Somebody separately has turned in rounds in St Mary. It's happening across the country," said Anderson, during a site visit in Port Maria yesterday.

"It's what we kind of expected from the amnesty. There are a lot of what we call it ... loose guns out there. Persons who have weapon in their possession, but sometimes they don't know how to bring it in, they don't even use it or carry it or need it. Sometimes somebody died and left a weapon in their custody and they not really sure how to go about handing it in," he added.

The police commissioner also sought to reassure persons who may fear or doubt that the amnesty offer, which ends on November 19, is a legitimate one. He also said that it was made to provide those with illegal guns an opportunity to surrender their weapons without facing any charges or prosecution.

"The amnesty provides for those people to rid themselves of that at this time, and then after you know what that is, just enforce the act. Subsequent to the amnesty there will be less opportunity to do so. My advice would be to do it now whilst you have the chance," he said.

Breaches of the new Firearms (Prohibition, Restriction and Regulation) Act, 2022, which is now in effect, will result in penalties ranging from 15 years to life imprisonment.

Under the amnesty, firearms or ammunition may be handed over to a sub-officer or senior sub-officer on duty at any police station; any designated officer at a Firearms Licensing Authority (FLA) location or to an attorney-at-law on behalf of an individual seeking the amnesty, for delivery to the nearest police station.