Assault rifle handed over in St Mary under amnesty

An assault rifle was handed over to the Port Maria police in St Mary today under the government's gun amnesty.

It was not disclosed if the weapon was loaded with ammunition.

Commissioner of Police, Major General Antony Anderson, today conducted a site visit in Port Maria.

Speaking with The Gleaner, Anderson said the hand over to the Port Maria police is a clear signal that illegal firearm holders are willing to take up the amnesty.

“A rifle has come in here and also rounds. Somebody separately has turned in rounds in St Mary. It's happening across the country,” said Anderson.

“It's what we kind of expected from the amnesty. There are a lot of what we call … 'loose guns' out there. Persons who have weapons in their possession, but sometimes they don't know how to bring it in; they don't even use it or carry it or need it. Sometimes somebody died and left a weapon in their custody and they not really sure how to go about handing it in,” he added.  

The amnesty, which was enacted through the Firearms (Prohibition, Restriction and Regulation) (Firearms Amnesty) Order 2022 and Resolution passed by Parliament, began last Saturday and ends on November 20.

It gives holders of illegal guns one last chance to turn them in and avoid tough sanctions, including a mandatory 15-year prison sentence, that are included in Jamaica's revised firearm law.

The police commissioner appealed to persons in possession of illegal guns to take up the amnesty.

“The amnesty provides for those people to rid themselves of that at this time and then after you know what that is - just enforce the act. Subsequent to the amnesty, there will be less opportunity to do, so my advice would be to do it now whilst you have the chance.”

- Gareth Davis Snr

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