Dominica Announces Limited Gun Amnesty and Other Measures to Quell Gun Crimes

ROSEAU, Dominica - Dominica's government has announced plans for a limited gun amnesty, the establishment of a special unit to deal with firearm offences as well as the payment to persons providing information resulting in the seizure of discovery of illegal firearms.

Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit made the announcement after several people were killed and injured including a member of the Logos Hope, the world’s largest floating book fair, who was shot in the buttocks last week as he walked in the capital, Roseau.

The man has since undergone surgery at the Dominica China Friendship Hospital and his condition is not considered to be life threatening.

Skerrit, who was flanked by the Minister of National Security, Rayburn Blackmoore, the Police Commissioner, Lincoln Corbette and other senior police officers, told reporters that over the past days, Dominica has witnessed troubling acts of gun violence.

“These incidents, brazen and reckless, have disrupted the peace and shaken the sense of safety that we hold dear as a people,” Skerrit said, offering his “deepest condolences to the family of the victim of these violent acts” and wishing them “a full and swift recovery.

“Let me be clear: this government will not tolerate lawlessness. We will not allow individuals with illegal firearms to destabilize our communities, endanger lives and undermine our national security,” said Skerrit.

He said that upon his return to the country on Sunday, he convened an emergency meeting with law enforcement and security officials “to thoroughly assess the situation and review the response to these incidents”.

He said that this is in addition to the strategies and plans which the police have been implementing.