New Board for FLA Soon

A new Firearm Licensing Authority (FLA) Board will be appointed shortly, Security Minister, Hon. Robert Montague, has informed.

“The process of vetting of the potential members is ongoing… the (new) members will be made public very soon,” he said.

Mr. Montague was responding to questions from journalists following the handover ceremony for new male dormitories for police officers at Harman Barracks in Kingston on August 24.

The FLA Board stepped down earlier this month due to the unearthing of irregularities regarding the issuance of firearm licences to people deemed unfit.

The Minister said that once the new Board is in place, it will continue to drive the ongoing reform process of the Authority, including implementing the recommendations of the Assessment Report on the Firearm Licensing Authority 2017 (Allen Report).

“This didn’t happen overnight; that is why we had commissioned the Allen Report about six months ago. So, what is happening now is implementation of the recommendations,” he said.

Mr. Montague noted that the FLA’s Chief Executive Officer, Shane Dalling, is also in the process of implementing some recommendations to strengthen the operations of the agency, adding that the dissolved Board had also made suggestions.

In the meantime, the Minister informed that investigations by the Major Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency (MOCA) are continuing into the 257 “red flagged” files relating to the issuing of licences, and assured that whatever is uncovered “will be acted upon”.

Members of the former FLA Board said they were stepping down to protect their integrity and that of the institution.

The FLA was established in 2006 to take over responsibility for the granting and renewing of firearm licences from the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF).