Gun amnesty nears conclusion
There are four days left for anyone in possession of illegal guns and ammunition to freely hand in your weapons without penalty. Collection centres were opened all over the country in early August, but to date less than a dozen firearms have been turned in. According to the National Coordinator for the Gun Amnesty and Cash for Information programme, Errol Gentle, despite the small number of weapons they have received, the programme has already been a success. News 5 caught up with Gentle at the Office of the Ombudsman as he went to inspect three more guns that were handed in this afternoon.
Errol Gentle, Coordinator, Gun Amnesty/Cash for Info
“If we get one gun off the streets I think it’s a success. And so far we have had four. And I think today three more, which makes it a total of seven. I think the main thing here is that we are affording each person out there who might have an illegal gun the opportunity to come clean. So whilst we might not have hundreds of guns like previous programmes, well first of all we are not paying for any illegal gun, I don’t believe it is right for us to pay for any illegal gun. But it’s the opportunity. We’re giving those persons the opportunity of coming clean. And I think it’s a success; seven guns is a success. Every gun that is taken off the street could mean one life, or maybe a dozen lives.”
Jacqueline Woods
“The seven guns collected are weapons only from Belize City?”
Errol Gentle
“No Jackie, we had one weapon being handed in in Belmopan, one in Independence and the other five weapons in Belize City.”
Jacqueline Woods
“Now following the end of the amnesty period, what happens next, will the cash for information then be introduced?”
Errol Gentle
“That’s why I mentioned we are giving those persons out there who have illegal firearms in their possession, an opportunity to come clean, because come next week when the amnesty period is over, you will see the police out there, they will be coming down like never before and it will be very, very serious action being taken against those persons who are in possession of illegal firearms. The cash for information programme will allow law abiding citizens who know that someone out there has a gun, to call in to a 922 number and to report this information. So we are still concentrating on getting all illegal guns off the streets of Belize. The only difference now is that if you call in with the information and after that information is proved fruitful, you can then claim a reward.”
Jacqueline Woods
“Why do you believe that not a far greater number of guns have been handed in?”
Errol Gentle
“I don’t want to speculate. If you remember the previous programmes were offering cash for the guns and this one we’re not offering cash. I think the reward is enough that no actions will be taken against you. Once you are in possession of an illegal firearm, that is an offence and you should go to prison for that, but this amnesty period is allowing them to come clean, is allowing them to hand in these weapons and no legal action being taken against them, so I think that is reward enough.”
The three weapons collected include two twelve gauge shotguns and one twenty-five calibre Beretta. The gun amnesty period comes to an end on Saturday.
