McKay says most gunmen are unemployable

Criminologist Jason McKay says the arrest of more than 500 people under the new Firearms Act is unlikely to be a blow to productivity on the island.

Since the new law came into effect on November 1, the police have arrested 556 persons, 484 of whom have been charged, in connection with the seizure of illegal guns and ammunition. The penalties under the new law range from a minimum of 15 years to life imprisonment.

McKay, in an interview with THE WEEKEND STAR, said Jamaica is unlikely to suffer from lower levels of productivity if the vast majority of persons arrested are convicted and sent to prison for a long time.

"Most of them are not functionally literate, they are unemployable and they can't function in a workplace environment," the criminologist said.

"It may seem like a loss in good productive human capital, but if you look into it, would they actually get a job? Do they want a job? Are they trained enough to function in a job environment? I don't think so! The majority of them that I see, they can't work anywhere else other than a construction site," McKay reasoned.

Police Commissioner Major General Antony Anderson, speaking at a Jamaica Constabulary Force press conference, said 370 illegal guns were seized during the first six months of 2023. McKay said the law-enforcement officers deserve high praises for their efforts.

"It's an unbelievable accomplishment in respect of the amount of lives that would be saved, not only with the removal of the guns, but the removal of those persons from society," McKay he said.

Guns are the weapons of choice for murders in Jamaica. In 2021, firearms were used in the commission of approximately 85 per cent of the 1,463 murders committed, with a further 1,070 people being shot and injured. Data from the Jamaica Constabulary Force indicate that between January 1 and June 30, some 655 murders were committed on the island. There were another 518 shootings in which 469 persons were injured.

Attorney-at-law Bert Samuels welcomed the announcement that more and more guns are being taken off the streets. He, however, reiterated his concerns about the mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years imprisonment for gun-related offences.

"I hope this is not a short period," Samuels said. "We want the guns to come in, we want the sentences to be a deterrent, but there are some circumstances which alter cases and cause 15 years to be oppressive."