Dominica government gives firearms amnesty

RSS Chairman and Dominica's Minister of National Security Rayburn Blackmoore (Photo: dominica2day.com)

ROSEAU, Dominica, November 19, 2008 – For the next two months, anybody walking into a police station in Dominica and handing over illegal guns or ammunition can walk out without being arrested.

That news came as Minister for National Security Rayburn Blackmoore announced that a firearm amnesty will be in effect until January 12.

“The time is now to jam the brakes on those persons who make a deliberate decision to keep and use illegal firearms. Government therefore is going to adopt a measured approach in doing so…The government of Dominica is granting an amnesty programme for persons in possession of illegally held firearms and ammunition. Persons who possess firearms or ammunition illegally should surrender them to any police station without fear of prosecution,” he said.

As part of the amnesty programme persons can also surrender illegal firearms or ammunition to a lawyer of their choice.

But Minister Blackmoore warned that after the expiration of the amnesty, lawmen “will leave no stone unturned in order to pursue and apprehend persons who are in possession of illegal firearms”.

“We cannot allow a culture of guns to develop in Dominica. We have a collective responsibility as one people to jam the brakes on criminals in order to safeguard Dominica’s reputation,” he said.

Mr Blackmoore also revealed that the existing Firearms Act will be repealed to be replaced by a new law which is “tougher and broader in scope”. An amendment to deal with the issue of the importation, sale and use of imitation firearms will also be included in the new law.

“If we are seeking to rid the streets of illegal firearms and to discourage persons from possessing illegal firearms, we must first of all have control of the persons who have firearm licences, by doing a proper audit to ensure that persons who hold licences for firearms cannot arbitrarily transfer them to other persons,” he said.

The National Security Minister added that if the holder of a licensed firearm carries it in a public place, he or she should have a registration card, in the same way that a person carries a registration card for a driver’s licence, bearing the particulars, the serial number, the photograph attached to that registration card, the holder’s date of birth, and the calibre of weapon for which the licence was issued.