New Firearms Bill For Parliament By End Of January

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Security, Hon. Dr. Horace Chang, says a new Firearms Bill will be brought to Parliament by the end of January.

“We have gotten to the point where we are confident that we got the correct legislation and during the course of January, we should bring it to the House [of Representatives],” Dr. Chang said, while addressing journalists during his visit to the Carawina District in Petersfield, Westmoreland, on Thursday, January 6.

He emphasised that the new Bill will send a strong signal to criminals that the country will not be tolerating illegal firearms.

“There will be no room in the legislation for any form of discretion. So, we are actively moving on the legislation,” the Minister indicated.

Dr. Chang said there are other significant pieces of legislation that are currently being examined closely, such as the Bail Act, adding that the police require a better legislative framework to properly deal with criminal activities.

He pointed out that in addition to the legislation, other crime-fighting tools are also required, as it will take a multifaceted approach to stem crime.

“We need to have a highly trained and adequate number of police officers, relevant legislation, resources and the provision of an environment that can work,” Dr. Chang explained.

“At this point, we have some very good leadership in the force from the Commissioner of Police down. They are applying their training and minds well. They make adjustments as they are doing here in Westmoreland and I am confident that we will be seeing an impact throughout the course of this year,” he added.

The Minister’s visit to Carawina followed the murder of siblings Dervin Jones and Sheldon Jones on Tuesday (January 4).