Bahamians Call for Stiffer Penalties against The Importation and Possession of Illegal Weapons in The Bahamas

Illegal Weapons and The Law in The Bahamas

RENEWED CALL FOR TIGHTER GUN LAWS IN THE BAHAMAS

By Jamal Moss

Nassau, N.P., The Bahamas

I stand with the Bahamian people who are demanding stronger action against the importation and possession of illegal weapons.  During my 2019 budget contribution, I called for "harsher penalties for weapons and ammunition possession."

My proposal was simple: anyone caught using an illegal weapon should automatically face 15 years in prison, with an additional five years for each bullet.  As a former Senator, I raised these issues because they directly affect the average Bahamian.  Some dismissed the proposal as too severe and unrealistic.  I answered then as I do now: “It must be done!”

Now, in 2026, Bahamians from all walks of life are crying out for "Stiffer Penalties," and I stand with them.  My position has not changed.

It is deeply disturbing that a country that manufactures no weapons has so many illegal firearms within its borders.  That question has long perplexed lawmakers, and it is a national concern.  The answer begins with holding accountable the individuals directly involved in this illicit trade.

The threat is growing.  Gun violence continues to terrorize our communities, and armed robberies have surged this year.

Earlier this last month, police uncovered a rocket-propelled grenade launcher hidden in bushes off the Tonique Williams-Darling Highway in New Providence.  The Minister of National Security himself admitted the find raises serious concerns about the weapons reaching our shores.  If a military-grade weapon can slip into our neighbourhoods, our current laws are clearly not deterring those who traffic in illegal arms.

Jamaica has shown what is possible.  Its proposed 15-year mandatory minimum for illegal firearm possession is already law, and this week its National Security Council recommended raising it to 20 years.

Jamaican security officials credit the tougher law for a sharp decline in murders and shootings.  That is the very approach I urged this country to take seven years ago.  The Bahamas now has a chance to lead in breaking the backbone of crime, rather than be seen as a follower.

Too often, our laws are treated as a joke, by law-abiding citizens and, worse, by those determined to break them.  The rule of law exists so that everyone is governed by it and knows the consequences of disrespecting it.

I speak as an ordinary citizen of The Bahamas, with nothing to gain from a legal profession, only a commitment to what is just.

Our laws on illegal weapons are outdated for this modern era.  In 2026, we must be unequivocal, direct and resolute in writing and enforcing them.

Failing to act decisively will erode the people's trust in the legal system and teach them to see it as a farce.  The nation was shocked when a 30-year-old man charged with various firearm-related offences received only a five-year sentence.  Are we serious?!

I believe the punishment did not fit the crime, and I am certain many Bahamians agree.  Families keep burying loved ones.  Children are growing up without a parent because those like the "merchant of death" profit from lives lost.

We need a law that leaves no doubt: anyone involved in the sale, supply or use of illegal firearms and ammunition will face severe consequences, without exception.  Take a firm stand, and The Bahamas can see brighter days and strike a real blow against a trade that harms us all.

Source / Comment

It's Every Bahamian Duty to Keep The Bahamas Safe

Bahamians Demand and Deserve a Safer Bahamas

Dr. Duane Sands, Chairman of The Free National Movement: The Duty to Keep Bahamians Safe Endures

Last year’s reduction in murders is welcome news in a country that has felt the heavy toll of violent crime.  Any reduction in murder matters, and every life saved matters.  But no Bahamian believes that a single statistic means the work is done.

We can acknowledge progress and still be clear-eyed about reality.  Bahamians want to feel safe walking home, sending their children to school, and going about their daily lives without fear.  That remains the standard by which success must be measured.

A decline in murders, while important, does not on its own mean we have a safer society.  Crime trends can shift quickly if the underlying system remains weak.

Even the Minister of National Security has acknowledged the need to study where crimes occur, when they occur, and who is affected.  That analysis must lead to action because public safety is built on execution, not explanations.

What Bahamians are asking for now is clarity and follow-through: clear priorities, clear timelines, and clear results.  Too often, crime plans are announced but not fully delivered, leaving communities frustrated and victims underserved.

That is why the Free National Movement has put forward a comprehensive 10-point plan to address crime.  Our plan is not a slogan and not a copy.

It is a correction, and focuses on tougher, smarter policing, faster justice, and a public health approach that works to prevent violence before it spreads.  It calls for stronger enforcement against gangs and illegal firearms, improved intelligence-led policing, modern forensic capacity, and real accountability across the justice system.

Any serious crime strategy must also confront sexual violence head-on.  Reported sexual offences continue to rise, disproportionately affecting women and children.  Protecting them must be central to national security.

Laws alone are not enough.  Survivors must be supported, believed, and protected, and cases must move quickly through the system.  The continued absence of a national forensic lab, leaving victims waiting months for DNA testing, is unacceptable.

Public confidence also depends on capacity.  Visible policing, adequate manpower, modern tools, and an efficient court system are essential if gains are to be sustained.  Without them, progress risks being temporary.

Bahamians do not want a victory lap.  They want solutions.  If murders are trending down, that is a positive step.  But safety cannot be seasonal, and it cannot depend on short-term measures.  The duty to keep Bahamians safe endures, and it demands serious leadership, real investment, and decisive action.

Bahamians cannot have a crime free society while harbouring the criminal in the bosom of the family

Bahamian society must make a decision on crime

tribune242 editorial



THE hard working police force are today in the unenviable position of being "damned if you do, and damned if you don't."

The public wants the criminal removed from the streets. However, when he is removed, the next word the police have is that he's out on bail, up to more mischief, and the chase starts all over again. The public wants guns removed from society, yet society wants selective justice applied to those who are caught with an unlicensed firearm. On the other hand, the police want tougher sentences. For example, in England possession of an unlicensed firearm could mean five years in prison.

Police know that firearms are brought in on boats, even pleasure craft. "However, when we go to search these boats, we are accused of harassing boaters," said one officer, "so we back off, but we know that there are guns aboard those boats."

In other words society can't have its cake and eat it too. If they want the country cleared of illegal guns, the police will have to be free to search, and the courts should be obliged to prosecute.

For example, the police were criticised for the precautions they took to protect the House, the Prime Minister, MPs and members of the public during the recent Bay Street demonstrations against the sale of BTC to Cable & Wireless. They were condemned for bringing the dogs out "against the people." However, if something had gone wrong they would have been criticised -- and investigated -- for not having taken every possible precaution to anticipate an emergency.

A spokesperson for the various groups said that the objective was to stage a peaceful demonstration, however, some protesters were in a "militant" mood. And it was that mood -- with threats of creating a "small Egypt" -- that made the police prepare for the worst.

Despite the unions' attempts to insist that it was a union demonstration, the unions' presence was obliterated by political activists. However, Fox Hill MP Fred Mitchell made no bones about what the demonstration was all about. The fight to have BTC remain in Bahamian hands is a political one, he said, and all who oppose the sale of the company to Cable and Wireless should band together.

Senator Dion Foulkes, speaking in the Senate, said that several "PLP MPs, ratified candidate and senior party officers were active in that demonstration which became extremely unruly and if it were not for the fine men and women of the Royal Bahamas Police Force, Bahamians could have been hurt, indeed, one person was hurt: Mr Capron, who later publicly thanked the police for coming to his aid."

Mr Foulkes identified "Melanie Griffin, Bernard Nottage, Ryan Pinder, Alfred Gray, Obie Wilchcombe and Barbara Pierre, Secretary General of the PLP and former PLP Chairman Minky Isaacs" as among those at the rally.

"Shane Gibson," he said, "who the night before the demonstration was seen all over the southwest of New Providence on the back of a truck with a blow horn telling people to come to Bay Street.

"I suspect that they have distanced themselves from this demonstration because it was a total and absolute flop," said the senator.

Mr Mitchell also criticised government for "attacking" union leaders at that demonstration, who, he said, are "simply acting in the best interests of their members."

Mr Mitchell conveniently forgets the three-week teachers strike of 1981 -- under the Pindling government -- when teachers were also trying to improve the conditions in the schools and raise the standard of the teaching profession. Not only were the police and the dogs brought out against the teachers, but there were snipers on the various roof tops with a fire engine standing by, possibly to use the water hoses in case of an emergency. Several teachers were arrested. Opposition Leader Norman Solomon told members in the House on January 7, 1981 that the reason they were discussing the teachers' strike in the House that day was because it was facing a "certain amount of insurrection" below in the public square. He blamed it on "14 years of continuous mismanagement of the economy."

"Those were the days," said a teacher who had participated in the strike, "when professionals of similar qualifications in the civil service were making 30 per cent more than their counterparts in the teaching profession."

The former teacher said that when the teachers decided to strike in 1981 they did so for what they believed in, fully realising the consequences of their actions. Their pay was docked for the full three weeks of the strike. They did not complain, because when they decided to strike they knew that it meant loss of pay.

Today the BTC unions withdrew their labour, fully knowing the consequences, but not expecting government to take any action against them. The teacher failed to understand their reasoning or why they should condemn government for enforcing the rules. They withdrew their labour. If they were sincere in their protest, they should have expected not to have been paid.

It is the same with the police. Bahamians want society to be crime free, but they do not want to suffer the consequences of having a family member, who is causing some of the problems, suffer the consequences. It is now up to Bahamians to decide what they really want.

They cannot have a crime free society while harbouring the criminal in the bosom of the family. The Tribune has great respect for those families who take one of their own to the police station to "turn him in." Those are the families who are the Bahamas' solid citizens - it is a pity that there are not more like them. It is only then that the Bahamas will have any hope of reducing its crime rate.

April 12, 2011

tribune242 editorial

Bahamas Blog International

Lots of gun crime in The Bahamas

Driving down crime
The Nassau Guardian Editorial


There are many parts to the overall strategy of driving down crime.

Aggressive policing is a must. It helps as well if police officers work within neighborhoods to build relationships so residents are more comfortable talking with police officers before and after a crime is committed.

It’s also important that special task forces go after particular crimes or zero in on high-crime areas.

There’s another part of the strategy that’s important, and that has to do with reducing the number of guns on our streets.

According to the 2010 crime statistics released last week, firearms were used in 69 of the 94 murders recorded. Firearms were also used in other serious crimes, such as armed robberies, housebreakings and burglaries, and in many cases, threats of death.

In 2010, 351 illegal firearms and 6,224 rounds of ammunition were seized. Those figures are up over the year before. In 2009, 312 illegal firearms and 4,388 rounds of ammunition were seized.

Commissioner of Police Ellison Greenslade has even agreed that it is time for the existing Firearms Unit to become an autonomous body given the high number of gun-related crimes.

In this space last week, The Nassau Guardian called for the government and judiciary to consider the establishment of a Gun Court to expedite the trials of suspects of gun-related crime.

Attorney General John Delaney announced on Friday that a Gun Court would be created in an attempt to ensure that those found with illegal firearms are quickly prosecuted. Gun charges will be isolated from other charges an individual may face.

The goal is to ensure that those found in possession of illegal firearms are incarcerated rather than being allowed to reoffend.

“The government is determined to make a full-frontal assault on firearm offenses,” said Delaney at Friday’s press conference, which was also attended by Minister of National Security Tommy Turnquest and senior officers from the Royal Bahamas Police Force, and took place following a meeting with Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham on gun crime.

A special inter-agency task force has also been set up to address the issue of illegal firearm possession.

The government should be commended for establishing the special court and task force, but it should not stop there.

Our gun laws are reasonably strict when it comes to gun ownership and are among the toughest in the region. The maximum penalty for illicit possession of firearms is five years imprisonment and a fine of $10,000.

The Gun Court will help ensure that suspects are quickly prosecuted, but laws must also be beefed up to ensure that individuals found guilty of such crimes do not get off easy. Special legislation is also needed to punish those found in possession of illegal assault rifles and machine guns.

We have a lot of gun crime in this country.

But a Gun Court, if operated properly, should not only help get some of those guns off the streets, but also save lives and family trauma.

That’s an important part of any crime-fighting strategy.

1/31/2011

The Nassau Guardian Editorial

Bahamas Blog International