Holness sounds gun warning

Prime Minister Andrew Holness yesterday warned people who possess illegal guns that they will face stiff penalties when the new Firearms Act is brought into force.

The far-reaching piece of legislation proposed a minimum 15 years imprisonment for persons caught will illegal guns. The House of Representatives has already given its nod to the bill, and senators are expected to debate its provisions this Friday.

Yesterday, Holness, speaking at the passing out parade for newly minted cops at the National Police College of Jamaica in Twickenham Park, St Catherine, urged persons with illegal guns to give them up. More than 300 new constables joined the ranks of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF).

"Be aware that the penalties have increased significantly, and because we have increased the penalties significantly, the government of Jamaica will implement, for a very short time a period, an amnesty," Holness said.

The amnesty will allow persons who are in possession of illegal firearms to surrender these firearms and ammunition without prosecution.

"Immediately there are those who will scuff at the amnesty. [They are likely to say] 'Which badman is going to give up dem gun?'," Holness reasoned. He continued: "I would want to catch you with it, but out of fairness and equity, out of enough forewarning so that you can't come in front of the judge and say you did not know, we will implement a period of amnesty," he said.

When implemented, the gun amnesty will become the latest initiative implemented by the Government to remove illegal guns from the streets. A cash-for-gun initiative, launched in January, sees the state offering between $250,000 and $500,000 for illegal weapons. The prime minister recently said that 85 per cent of all homicides in Jamaica are committed using an illegal firearm.

Meanwhile, Holness used his address yesterday to push back at suggestions that socio-economic factors contribute to persons making the decision to possess illegal guns.

"Poverty is not an excuse for seeking to have and using an illegal firearm. There are no freedom fighters here! There is no rebellion force here! Every Jamaican must be a law-abiding citizen, and when you make these kind of excuses for the possession of illegal weapons , all that you are doing is empowering criminals, making it harder for these young recruits," the prime minister said.