Persons urged to voluntarily surrender illegal guns, ammo

…“put it in a bag and throw it” into Police Station – Home Affairs Minister

Home Affairs Minister, Robeson Benn, on Wednesday expressed deep concern over the escalating issue of gun crimes in Guyana.

Despite a 17 percent decrease in serious crimes and a remarkable 60 percent clear-up rate in 2023, illegal firearms and related crimes are on the rise.
Minister Benn, addressing the media at an End-of-Year press conference, made a bold call for individuals in possession of illegal firearms to voluntarily surrender them to the nearest police station. With no amnesty program in place, he urged those with illicit weapons to discreetly discard them either at police stations or in easily accessible locations for law enforcement to retrieve.
“The situation about gun crimes and holding illegal guns, we are not going to do any amnesty,” stated Benn firmly. “If you have an illegal gun, pass by the police station, put it in a bag, and throw it in the yard.”
While acknowledging the 149 illegal firearms seized in 2023, Minister Benn revealed a concerning trend. Investigations suggest that these illegal firearms are not locally sourced but are imported. Despite the gravity of the situation, Benn clarified that the ministry is not considering a gun amnesty program.
The Home Affairs Minister emphasised the government’s strong stance against the possession of illegal firearms, associating them with drug and criminal activities. He announced ongoing efforts with international partners to amend legislation, proposing stricter penalties for those found carrying illegal firearms.
No bail/regional issue
Expressing disdain for bail granted to individuals with illegal guns, Benn stated, “I don’t know how people get bail for having an illegal gun…They shouldn’t be given bail.”
In a broader regional context, Benn referred to Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Keith Rowley’s announcement in July 2023 about guns infiltrating the Caribbean and CARICOM countries, contributing to a surge in gun crimes. Benn stressed the need for Guyana to align with Caricom strategies to combat criminal activities.
Only last week when Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (DASD) for the Western Hemisphere at the United States Department of Defense, Daniel P Erikson met with Secretary General of Caricom, Dr Carla Barnett the issue of gun trafficking in the region was discussed.
During a that meeting the Caribbean Community (Caricom) Dr Barnett shared Caricom’s glaring concern for the prevalence of firearm trafficking into the Region – an issue which the United States (US) Government has signalled its support to eradicate.
Speaking with the media on Tuesday last following these talks, Erikson highlighted the underlying link to transnational criminal activities and violence.
As a result, arms trafficking has been identified as one area which will see robust action, through the deployment of prosecutorial resources and other critical assets.
“We recognise that this is a big concern throughout the Caribbean because it is tied to transnational criminal organisations and certainly tied to the overall drugs and narcotics trade that exists in the Region, and criminal violence.”
“The US Government is focused on addressing this challenge as a law enforcement issue, including providing additional prosecutorial assets to investigate cases of illegal firearms trafficking in the Caribbean,” said the Senior US Department of Defense official.
In a 2023 joint report between Small Arms Survey and Caricom IMPACS titled: The Caribbean Firearms Study, it was found that the Caribbean Region suffers from some of the world’s highest rates of violent deaths, at almost three times the global average, as well as one of the world’s highest rates of violent deaths among women.
Firearms are used in more than half of all homicides, with this proportion reaching 90 per cent in some countries.