Gun owners in FLA cross hairs

Glenroy Sinclair, Assignment Coordinator

A POLICE superintendent and at least two lesser-ranked cops are among 70 licensed gun owners whose permits are now under the microscope of the Firearm Licensing Authority (FLA), which is weighing whether it should revoke or renew their licences.

Reports reaching The Gleaner are that a number of high-profile businessmen are on the blacklist.

It is understood that the permit of one Kingston-based inner-city enforcer is among 12 licences that have been revoked by the FLA since January.

Between 2007 and July 8 this year, 182 firearm permits have been cancelled.

In the meantime, the FLA is combing through 2,000 new applications.

Commenting on the files under review, FLA Chairman Errol Strong explained that the cases involve persons who lost their firearms under questionable circumstances, used guns improperly, or secured permits through less-than-transparent means.

"These are Investigative Branch files and they are being reviewed based on a whole raft of things," the retired assistant commissioner of police told The Gleaner yesterday.

The five-member FLA board resigned on June 18 because of a tiff with National Security Minister Dwight Nelson. The minister has reportedly requested that Strong stay on till a new board is constituted.

Arrests in st thomas

Licensed gun owners have come under scrutiny because of the high level of gun offences in Jamaica and possible collusion with the criminal underworld.

Just yesterday, a popular Morant Bay, St Thomas, businessman - who had a gun permit - was arrested by the police following the seizure of four guns and more than 100 rounds of ammunition.The police said they responded to reports of shootings in Pilot district, St Thomas, where they apprehended a 17-year-old boy with two firearms: an Intratec semi-automatic pistol and a .38 revolver.

Investigations led the lawmen to a house occupied by the teenager's father. There, they found a shotgun, which is owned by the businessman.Detectives then went to the businessman's house, where they found another firearm - a Beretta 9mm pistol. Detectives later discovered that the shotgun permit had expired on July 6, while the permit for the 9mm pistol expired in May.

The police said the youth, his father and the businessman will be charged.

glenroy.sinclair@gleanerjm.com

Firearm permit revocations

• 12 - (Jan-July 8) 2010
• 44 - 2009
• 29 - 2008
• 97 - 2007