Hundreds face lengthy prison terms for guns

More than 350 persons have been charged for various offences under the new Firearms Act that came into effect last November.

The penalties under the new law range from a minimum of 15 years to life imprisonment.

Commissioner of Police, Major General Antony Anderson, during a virtual press conference yesterday, said that the Firearms Act is a critical arsenal in the fight against criminality.

"By taking illegal firearms off the streets, we are making our communities safer and more secure," Anderson said.

A total of 658 charges have been laid against the persons arrested.

At the time of the new law coming into force, National Security Minister Dr Horace Chang said the Government might have to create "additional rooms" in the penal system to house people convicted of firearm-related offences.

"My intention is not to lock up thousands of people for life and build new prisons for them. My intention is to provide training opportunities for those young men to lead productive lives. I want them to turn in what they have and to encourage others to stay away from the gun," the minister said.

Guns are the weapons of choice for murders in Jamaica, accounting for more than 85 per cent of unlawful killings on the island.