Increase in illegal firearms confiscation

by Linda Straker

• 78 people was arrested and charged for firearm or firearms-related offences between 2022 and 2023
• Illegal and unlawful firearms have potential to significantly derail socio-economic development
• Once amnesty period starts, it will last for 90 days

For the 5-year period 2019 to 2023, police in Grenada confiscated 68 illegal firearms while for 2022 and 2023, a total of 78 people was arrested and charged for firearm or firearms-related offences.

This was disclosed by National Security Minister Dickon Mitchell when he presented the 2024 Firearms Act Amendment Bill for debate during Tuesday sitting of the Lower House or House of Representatives.

The bill seeks to provide the Minister for National Security with the authority to declare a period of amnesty for the handing over of illegal firearm to law enforcement. “The issue of illegal and unlawful firearms is a troubling and vexing one and has the potential and ability to significantly derail and destroy our peaceful way of life and our socio-economic development,” Prime Minister Mitchell told the House.

Presenting illegal firearm confiscation data to members, he said that within the 5-year period the different types of guns were confiscated included semi-automatic, Glock, and Remington. During the year 2019 the confiscated number of illegal firearms were 13; in 2020 it was 10, in 2021 it was 4 while in 2022 it was 11 and in 2023 it was 30. The total seizure for the period was 68, with 23 seeing the largest of any of the previous years.

“I did not ask for the statistics for 2024 because already based on periodic reports the numbers are either 10 or 11,” he said, pointing out that most of the guns were recovered in public spaces including an omnibus with passengers.

Sharing details about the number of people arrested, the minister said, “For the years 2022 and 2023 the police arrested and charged 78 persons for firearm and firearms-related offences…and all of these are males,” he added.

Prime Minister Mitchell said his government is seeking to give the amnesty as part of a wider aggressive campaign of education, “particularly amongst our young men to discourage them from seeing firearm as something that is sexy or that something that is mature or something that makes you feel you are the bigger man,” he said.

“The outcomes are inevitable and guaranteed, you will either kill somebody, you will kill yourself, you will maim somebody, you will maim yourself, or … its either the grave, jail or the hospital,” he said, indicating that the period of respite is to show illegal firearm owners that there is no upside to have a firearm.

“Come forward and surrender the firearm without prosecution. The amnesty is not going to last forever. After the amnesty, the intent is to further amend the Firearms Act. This is an opportunity for those who have illegal firearms to hand over without prosecution,” he said.

The next step for the amendment is for it to get the approval of the Upper House followed by the ascension from the Governor-General and the publishing of the amnesty order in the Government Gazette.

The Minister for National Security did not say when the amnesty period will start but once it commences, will last for 90 days.