In a recent interview with Nationwide News Network the CEO of the Firearm Licensing Authority (FLA) Shane Dalling made several interesting comments in relation to licensed gun ownership in Jamaica.

Dalling seems to be of the opinion that making licensed guns more accessible to law-abiding members of the Jamaican public is unlikely to decrease the incidence of crime. Conversely, he posits that an increase in licensed gun owners will lead to an increase in the theft of licensed guns, which will fall into the hands of criminals.

The first question that came to mind is: I wonder if Dalling is a licensed gun owner? And if he is, why does he own one? Gun ownership isn’t about decreasing crime, it is about protecting yourself, your loved ones, and your property from harm.

Furthermore, there is no evidence that the majority, or even a significant number, of the guns involved in murders or shootings in Jamaica were ever licensed within the country. Most murder weapons are illegal guns that were smuggled into the country through our porous borders. Criminals are armed to the teeth with high-powered assault rifles, fully automatic, and semi-automatic pistols. Why shouldn’t citizens be afforded a fighting chance against them?

Dalling went on to refer to New Zealand and “several other countries” (which he did not specify), stating that they have moved to restrict legal gun ownership as a method of crime fighting. The implication from his statement was that he believed Jamaica should follow a similar course of action to combat gun crimes rather than increase gun access to law-abiding citizens.

A simple Google search will show that New Zealand’s gun reform, which began in 2019, was in response to a mass shooting incident which targeted two mosques in the city of Christchurch, where 51 people were killed and 40 people injured in an act of terrorism that was carried out by a licensed firearm holder using semi-automatic rifles. The subsequent reform in response to the incident included a ban on all assault rifles, military-style semi-automatic guns, high-capacity magazines, and parts that can be used to build military-style semi-automatic weapons. None of the aforementioned are currently legal in Jamaica for civilians to licence. I believe that Dalling’s reference to New Zealand’s gun restrictions was totally devoid of situational context and his use of that country as a comparator to Jamaica was misleading.

Furthermore, according to gunpolicy.org, in the five years preceding the gun reform in New Zealand, the total firearm homicides were as follows: 2018 (12), 2017 (11), 2016 (9), 2015 (9), 2014 (6). I would hazard a guess that Jamaica had more firearm homicides last month than New Zealand, a population of just over five million people, in that five-year period. The two countries realities could not be any more contrasting. Jamaica is under siege by murderous criminals and the vast majority of citizens are totally defenceless.

It was stated by Dalling that the new Firearms Act will require the FLA to give fulsome reasons for denial to any unsuccessful applicant. He went on to say, however, that under his administration no denial to an application has ever been made whimsically, but that every application was determined after a “rigorous” process of investigations. Ironically, in this very year the FLA was embroiled in a scandal in which it was brought to light that over the years several individuals with criminal records, including convictions for illegal possession of firearms, were granted licenses. How is this congruous with the rigorous investigation process that the FLA practices when determining an application for a gun licence?

The public perception that the FLA is a corrupt body and that a gun licence can only be obtained through links or corrupt, under-the-table dealings has not been dispelled.

The wealthy who reside in upscale communities are the ones who meet the “criteria” to be granted a gun licence. Are working class people’s lives not worth protecting? Are the upper class the subject of any greater danger or threat than that of the average working-class Jamaican citizen?

Dalling opined that having a licensed gun will make someone a greater target for criminals. My response is that we are already targets, but I would rather be an armed target than a sitting duck.