Government bolstering border security to stem flow of illegal guns in Jamaica

KINGSTON, Jamaica– Prime Minister Andrew Holness says the Government is bolstering its capacity to control the country’s territorial waters to curtail the entry of illegal firearms.

Addressing a National Day of Prayer event on Wednesday, he outlined measures to address the crime scourge as he decried the recent spate of murders in the country.

“We are increasing our capacity to have domain control of our territorial waters. People wonder why we are spending all this money; [it is] because we must stop the guns coming in. That is why we are putting the boats out there, and we are going to [provide] more so that we can control our territorial waters,” Holness said.

In addition to securing the borders, Holness said the new Firearms Bill, which will be brought to the Houses of Parliament, will provide more substantial penalties for possessing illicit weapons.

“I am expecting the full support of the Parliament in passing legislation to show that Jamaica, in our 60th year, will remove from our illegal society guns and other weapons,” he said, assuring holders of legal firearms that they do not need to worry about the legislation.

“I want to make it clear; Jamaica does not have a significant crime problem with legal firearms…We have had a problem with that for decades; guns have been allowed to come into our country through our various illegal ports of entry dotted right across the island.

“It has accumulated now to a point where everybody has a gun… and they are used indiscriminately, and I want us to dismiss this thought…that you can possess an illegal firearm to protect yourself,” he added.

Regarding the State of Public Emergency (SOE), the Prime Minister said that they have been effective but noted that constitutional issues surround the use of the security measures, which the Government must rush to resolve.

“It is not a tool that the Government can use by itself; it requires a supermajority in Parliament to use it. But the Government is always willing to use it because we have devised a mechanism that ensures that the rights and the lives of Jamaicans are protected,” Holness said.