Dominica- The opposition wants a comprehensive approach to tackle gun violence in Dominica.

ROSEAU, Dominica, CMC – The main opposition United Workers Party (UWP) said the surge in gun violence is a “stark” reminder of the challenges facing Dominica and called for a “comprehensive approach to take this crisis”.

“No family should endure the pain of losing a loved one to senseless violence, and no child should grow up in the shadow of fear. Your grief is our grief, and your call for safety and justice is our shared mission,” UWP leader, Dr. Thomson Fontaine, said in a statement.

On Monday, the Dominica government announced plans for a limited gun amnesty, the establishment of a special unit to deal with firearm offenses, as well as the payment to persons providing information that results in the seizure or discovery of illegal firearms.

Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit made the announcement after several people were killed and injured, including a member of the Logos Hope, the world’s largest floating book fair, who was shot in the buttocks last week as he walked in the capital, Roseau.

Skerrit, who was flanked by the Minister of National Security, Rayburn Blackmoore, the Police Commissioner, Lincoln Corbette, and other senior police officers, told reporters that over the past days, Dominica has witnessed troubling acts of gun violence.

“These incidents, brazen and reckless, have disrupted the peace and shaken the sense of safety that we hold dear as a people,” Skerrit said, offering his “deepest condolences to the family of the victim of these violent acts” and wishing them “a complete and swift recovery.

“Let me be clear: this government will not tolerate lawlessness. We will not allow individuals with illegal firearms to destabilize our communities, endanger lives, and undermine our national security,” said Skerrit.

In his statement, the UWP leader said that “this surge in gun violence is a stark reminder of the urgent challenges we face as a nation.

“While we mourn, we must also act with resolve to address the root causes fueling this crisis. Too many of our young people are caught in a cycle of despair, economic hardship, and lack of opportunity, leaving them vulnerable to the lure of violence. As a nation, we must do better for our youth. They are our future, and their potential must be nurtured, not lost to the streets,” Thomson said.

The opposition party said it is calling for a “comprehensive approach to tackle this crisis and bring an immediate end to the pain and suffering which have been caused.

“We must prioritize creating a vibrant economic environment that offers our young people meaningful opportunities for gainful employment. By investing in education, skills training, and job creation, we can empower our youth to build brighter futures, steering them away from the path of violence. We need policies that foster Hope, provide purpose, and ensure that every young Dominican has a stake in our nation’s progress and development.”

Thomson said that the UWP was also urging the government to strengthen community policing, enhance public safety measures, and work collaboratively with all stakeholders to address the proliferation of illegal firearms, adding “violence thrives where opportunity falters, and we cannot afford to delay action”.

Last year, the authorities implemented a gun amnesty that netted only three firearms, and Corbette said for the year so far, there have been 11 murders, four of them involving the use of guns, and they have not yet been solved.

“However, we have suspects in three of those matters,” he said, naming them as Ian Alfred, Brent Alexander, and Jamal Ishmael Alexis.

“Those three individuals are considered armed and dangerous,” he said, adding that the police have also identified other suspects on the run.

He said that to date, the police have seized seven firearms, 84 rounds of ammunition, 16 motorcycles, three motor vehicles, EC$15,000 as well as 1.1 kilos of cocaine and made four arrests since mid-June to last weekend.

He said for the year so far, the police have seized 49 firearms, 289 rounds of ammunition, noting that in those seizures, “we seized three high-powered AR-15 type rifles.

“As I have said before, those are weapons of war and they do not belong on the streets of Dominica,” he said, telling reporters in 2022 that the police seized 92 firearms and 2,140 rounds of ammunition.