Grenada considering gun amnesty amidst rising violence

The government of Grenada is scheduled to seek approval from members from both houses of parliament to introduce amnesty as a safety measure for violent crimes and other firearm-related incidents.

The debate will be introduced on the 26^th of March sitting of the lower house, the complimentary notes to the bill suggest that amnesty is considered one of the most practical and viable forces to combat the presented concerns. In March of last year, the police force chose not to disclose the number of illegal firearms confiscated by the authorities in the last three years. The information was not disclosed in the interest of national security and safety, which the authorities deduced might be breached by sharing such information.

The explanatory note for the bill also stated that “The Government intends to lessen the potential for the commission of violent crimes and firearms-related incidents by reducing the number of firearms and ammunition circulating illegally in the State.”

“In furtherance of this objective, the Government believes that the power to declare a firearms amnesty is one of the approaches which may help to achieve the stated objectives.”

The note goes on to say “During the amnesty period, a person who is in unlawful possession of firearms or ammunition may surrender the same in such manner as may be specified and no proceedings shall be taken against the person in respect of his or her unlawful possession of said firearm or ammunition.”

Once enforced, the amnesty period will last for 90 days. The period will allow citizens to hand in firearms without being prosecuted. In Grenadian legislation a firearm refers to any lethal barrelled weapon regardless of a specific description from which any bullet, shot or missile can be discharged, this includes prohibited weapons and restricted weapons whether they possess a lethal barrel or not.

Any individual found guilty of illegal possession of a firearm will be subjected to a fine of at least $4,000 and 2 years in prison, with a maximum penalty of $20,000 and 5 years in prison. The exceptions lie within indictable charges, where the fines rise in between the range of $20,000 - $60,000, in that case, the prison sentence could be anywhere between 5-20 years.