Just a day after 13 illegal firearms were recovered in a gated community in Florence Hall, Trelawny, Prime Minister Andrew Holness today (February 4) urged anyone on the island with information about similar weapons to make it known to the authorities.

“Today I am appealing to persons who are in possession of illegal weapons to give them up,” Holness said in an address at the official opening of the Andrews Mews Recreational Centre, 155 Olympic Way in his West Central St Andrew constituency.

The prime minister, pointing to Crime Stop, the Public Safety and Traffic Enforcement Branch (PSTEB) and the Jamaica Constabulary Force Tipline, said persons could use any one of those mediums to say what they know.

Crime Stop can be contacted at telephone# 311, PSTEB at 876-591-5671 and the JCF Tipline at 837-8888. Persons can also provide information through the police emergency# 119.

“Give up the guns. Call your police officer that you trust and tell them where the guns are and, better yet, tell us who are the gunmen,” said Holness, whose administration has been coming under fire in recent weeks for the scale of gun violence impacting the island.

“I make this sincere and serious appeal to every single Jamaican.”

In bolstering his appeal, the prime minister noted that a ‘Get every illegal gun campaign’ has already been launched, involving strategic and targeted security operations and a reward system of between $250,000 and $500,000 for information leading to the recovery of illegal guns.

But the idea of handing out rewards for giving up guns was met with mixed reactions as some persons questioned whether it could lead to individuals turning in older guns in order to get the funds to acquire deadlier firearms.

Said one Twitter user, under the handle @HartistMcDonald: “This is a backward step in the fight against illegal possession of guns. The monetary rewards will only give them the opportunity to buy new guns and accessories. Gun amnesty have not worked very well in Jamaica.”

NEW YEAR’S MESSAGE

Added @marlonWill14: “This is great, I just hope they don’t offer rewards more than the value of the gun turned in.”

@crazyideaguy said: “On the fence Wid dis one. But support any measure that can get murders down.”

Holness’ push to bring in the firearms and curb the violence comes after he declared in his 2022 New Year’s Message that a new Firearms Bill would be brought to Parliament, making it clear that the harshest consequences would flow for possession of illegal guns.

“Possessing an illegal weapon increases the means and likelihood of the possessor escalating to committing murder or other serious crimes. All Jamaicans should speak with one voice against the illegal possession of firearms,” Holness had said.

He pointed out that some 85 per cent of all homicides in Jamaica are committed using an illegal firearm, meaning a gun that was brought into the country illegally, never registered in the national firearm database, and the owner was never put through a process to determine whether they are fit and proper to possess a firearm.

He also indicated at the time that the Government was expanding the use of Zones of Special Operation to control crime and homicides in selected communities.

“The Enhanced Security Measures Bill is being refined and should be brought to Parliament in the next financial year. This will further augment the crime fighting powers of the police,” Holness had said.