Prime Minister Andrew Holness said that within the last 10 years, Jamaica recorded 12, 641 murders involving the use of illegal firearms.

He was speaking on day one of the inaugural Regional Security Conference in Trinidad aimed at reducing the levels of crime and violence in the Caribbean.

Holness noted that guns are the main accelerants of crime, not only in Jamaica but in the region and drastic measures are needed to reduce the impact of illegal guns on the region.

“In Jamaica, in the last 10 years we have seized 8,036 illegal firearms and I wouldn’t tell you how many I think are still in the hands of criminals- multiples of that. But the real important figure is that 12,641 Jamaicans were murdered by illegal firearms,” he shared.

The Prime Minister further noted that the majority of the illegal guns that are entering the region are from North America and urged CARICOM to lobby the United States to help solve the region’s gun problem.

“Our children are being killed, our young males are being killed with guns exchanged for drugs, which head to North America. Our children are just as valuable as the children in North America. There has to be equal energy, effort and attention paid to preventing illegal guns coming into our country as we pay effort, energy and attention in preventing illegal drugs going to their country,” he stressed.

The same sentiments were shared by other member states of CARICOM and audience members who applauded the Jamaican Prime Minister for his comments on the issue.

Additionally, Holness urged the CARICOM leaders to enact stronger legislation against crime and supply additional resources to their respective National Security teams to help reduce violence in the region.