AS the Guyana Police Force (GPF) moves ahead aggressively with its crime-fighting agenda, it was announced, on Monday, that for 2021, a total of 71 illegal firearms were recovered.

According to data released by the force’s Corporate Communications Unit, 61 of the guns were seized from persons who were not the holder of a firearm license, while the remaining 10 were found. 36 are pistols, 18 are revolvers and the remaining 17 are shotguns.

Region Six leads the list with 15 recoveries followed by Region Four ‘A’ with 14 and Region Four ‘C’ with 10. Illegal guns were found in all the other regions except Region Nine.

In giving a breakdown, the force said that in Region One three pistols and one revolver were recovered; in Region Two, one pistol and one shotgun were found; Region Three, three pistols and three revolvers; Region Four ‘A’, eight pistols and six revolvers; Region Four ‘B’, three pistols and one revolver; Region Four ‘C’, six pistols and four revolvers; Region Five, one shotgun; Region Six, five pistols, one revolver and nine shotguns; Region Seven, four pistols and one shotgun; Region Eight, two pistols and one revolver and Region Ten, one pistol, one revolver and five shotguns.

PENALTIES
In November, President Dr. Irfaan Ali had announced that his government will be amending the law governing possession of unregistered firearms to apply the “highest penalty” for persons caught with them.

His disclosure was made against the backdrop that most crimes are gun-related.

The Head of State is looking to implement this and a slew of other measures to further combat crime in the county even though there has been a 19.4 per cent reduction in crime up to November 8, 2021, when compared to the same period last year.

President Ali has already engaged Attorney-General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, S.C., to propose an amendment to the legislation regarding unlawful possession of firearms.

“We’re going to give a period for all those persons with illegal weapons to deposit those weapons, after which the law will be amended to give you the greatest penalty,” President Ali had said.

According to Section 16 (2) of the Firearms Act, if a person is found with a firearm in his possession without holding a firearm license, he/she shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine of not less than $3,000 nor more than $15,000 together with imprisonment for not less than one year, nor more than three years, and on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for seven years.

While discussing the issue of crime, the President had perused a detailed report from the Guyana Police Force which presented a breakdown of critical data including the days when crime is more prevalent, at what time during the day, and the locations where the occurrence of crime is predominant, among other factors.

“Crime has been decreasing but we’re still not satisfied,” President Ali had said, noting that investments will be made in the Police Force’s training and development, to improve working conditions and welfare for servicemen and women and to hold them more accountable, all in a bid to strengthen crime-fighting.

The police report highlighted that, in terms of locality, Region One has seen the largest increase in crime with a 132.4 per cent increase for the reported period. On the other hand, Region Four ‘A’ (Agricola – Cummings Lodge) had seen a 43.4 per cent decrease, and Region Five (Mahaica – Berbice) a 52.1 per cent decrease.

“What is there in Region One that is different? We know that there is an increased migrant population, there is displacement, and of course, this is causing social-economic issues, and a resulting factor is crime,” President Ali had said, noting that statistics such as these shape policy decisions.