Home Affairs Minister Further Details Purpose of Firearm Control Board

Kareem Musa

And, while the Commissioner of Police is of the view that police officers will always be stricter in the granting of gun license, Minister Musa contends that the board will offer a greater level of oversight. Musa says it will no longer be one individual determining who gets a gun license.

Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs

“What the Commissioner has said is that it has not resulted in any reduction in crime in Jamaica. He has also said that individuals sit on board, human beings sit on board, and human beings are fallible. And so it’s very possible that also something could be missed. So this board possibly could have missed a fraudulent vetting. It could have gotten to them and they could have missed it. Well, that’s the whole point. We have a board in place that will offer a check and balance. It’s not just one individual anymore determining, okay, uh, you will get a license today. Considering what the commissioner has to go through on a daily basis, not just dealing with the media, dealing with each and every crime, because he’s a very hand on commissioner, and when he goes to his office, it’s probably just to sign things. Whereas you have a board that will consider things now, and it’s three individuals sitting on the board and sitting there on a rotational basis who can be changed as opposed to having a law in place that says this commissioner, forever as he’s the commissioner, will decide on licenses. It’s totally; he’s totally immovable at that point, whereas, if there are any allegations against any member of the board, they can be moved. That doesn’t currently exist, and to me, that is the difference.”