Every first of January in Jamaica, not only do we ring in the new year with firecrackers, fireworks, confetti at our church events, parties, and time with the family, but some of us take time out to participate in gun saluting.

This is the process of turning your firearm to the sky and shooting multiple rounds, an act that is illegal because it is highly hazardous and lethal. On January 1, 2022, a friend of mine found a bullet on his living room floor, right below an entrance hole in his ceiling.

Scores of people are injured and even killed every year simply because reckless individuals decide to shoot their weapons in the air. The Martin Luther King Jr/Drew Medical Centre conducted a test between 1985 and 1992 in which they found that normal shootings had a death rate of 2 per cent to 6 per cent, whilst falling bullets had a death rate of roughly 33 per cent. The rate was higher due to falling bullets having an increased chance of hitting the victim directly in the head. About 77 per cent of dead victims of celebratory gunfire were hit in that same spot. This would mean the chances of death are ~10 times higher from gun salutes than a regular gun shot.

According to Julian Hatcher, a former US Army major general, a 30-calibre round can reach a terminal velocity of 90 metres per second, that is the maximum speed an object can attain in a medium such as air when drag force and gravitational force are factored. Additionally, some bullets can go as high as 2 miles and take less than 60 seconds to return to the ground. That is 30 per cent higher than the peak of the Blue Mountain range. As the bullet goes up, it slows due to gravitational force and its kinetic energy being used up. Once all the energy is used, the bullet comes to a standstill and begins to fall, the bullet then speeds up in an exponential manner, then hits its terminal velocity. In this moment, anyone or anything could be hit, that includes your car, house, pet, or worse, you. This is a danger that I believe should not just go on unchecked due to its universal nature. Apart from getting illegal guns off the road, I believe there are other shorter-term ways to address this problem, such as updating the building code, initiating a widespread campaign, and setting up a solid informant system.

People finding bullets on their floors, in the hood of their cars, or in their gardens is now a normal occurrence in our nation. The building code did not factor in this type of hazard as wood, shingle, felt, and a water barrier are the majority of the components that make up a standard roof. Drywall and concrete slabs are also popular methods. Out of all options, concrete slabs would be the most protective, but we all know that type of roofing is not good for run-off or heat dissipation, a factor that is ever so important in the tropical region. We would need something with enough resilience and friction to stop bullets in their tracks.

Based on my deduction, steel-based ballistic armour plates would be the best bet to protect from different kinds of rounds and calibres. Segmented versions could be procured for an easier installation process. This would offer protection from a standard handgun to a semi-automatic/automatic assault rifle, such as an AK-47, some of the most popular guns in the country, legal or illegal.

The Government could pass amendments to the building code to adjust construction procedures to incorporate these sheets of steel. This change would be applicable to current and future construction projects, and would be most timely if moved on quickly, especially since the country is now experiencing a construction.

Some may argue that such a requirement is too costly or unnecessary, but if they knew someone who had been injured or killed by a falling bullet, I’m sure they would think differently. Having addressed the method required to secure physical buildings in order to protect those inside from falling bullets, I wish to turn my attention to the risk for those outside, in open air spaces.

The act of celebratory gunfire is something that is arguably ingrained in Jamaican culture. Many partake in it because it seems fun and harmless, but others know the danger and don’t care because it doesn’t affect them. In a society that tolerates “badniss” at best and promotes it at worst, it is expected that people would be ignorant of the dangers or reluctant to follow the rules. Nonetheless, the ones who know no better, but wish to be better, must be educated.

A real education campaign must be executed. This could be done, not with a fun, happy-go-lucky jingle, but with jarring stories to drive home the horrific facts. The Ministry of National Security ought to be responsible for executing a campaign in the printed media, online, on radio and on TV highlighting the testimonies of victims. Public personalities who are relatable to the various generations may also be used, for example radio personalities for the older generations and social media influencers for the younger ones. I’m sure Julie Mango could whip up a good skit that would get the message across. This would be similar to those anti-crime and domestic abuse advertisements on TV featuring influential people.

If I were in charge of the national security portfolio, I would commence the campaign in the first week of December and allow it to run throughout the entire Christmas season in preparation for New Year’s Day. If this is done with enough focus and frequency, every nook and cranny of Jamaica will know celebratory gunfire is a nuisance, at least, and deadly, at worst. Whilst an education campaign will work for the citizens with hearts who truly did not know the danger, we will have to go further to tackle the nefarious individuals who simply don’t care.

Although some will stop once educated on the matter, others will behave as if they should not be spoken to or corrected. When this is proven to be so, these people must be dealt with using the hard side of the law. Only a society that tolerates rule breakers will be riddled with them, which explains our current predicament with our crime rate.

We will need a fully functional informant system to catch people in the act and detain them. Currently, the Firearm Licensing Authority (FLA) does ballistic tests that can track guns if they have a bullet fired from said gun. This aids in also identifying the owner of the gun. Unfortunately, many guns in Jamaica are illegal. These illegal firearms are not easy to track, this is where an initiative should come in place, whereby a person could provide video or photo evidence in a clandestine manner in return for a reward. Metadata must be included to give further information regarding the video/photo taken. This would provide information on the date and time the video/photo was taken, the date it was modified, the device used and, at times, the location. This would be dangerous for some to do but so is informing the police of where guns and criminals are. Once the system is shut and sealed tight, it should be safe.

Being shot by a stray bullet is a material risk to everyone in Jamaica. Your age, gender, race, class, or sexual orientation doesn’t matter. What goes up, must come down, and it’s time Jamaicans learn this undeniable fact.

On the morning of January 1, 2023, I couldn’t help but take cover inside once I heard the number of automatic weapons being fired in celebration of the new year, along with “clappers” and fireworks. I believe once we educate the masses and incentivise people to do the right thing we will be able to enjoy New Year’s Day every year with complete peace of mind.

Malik Smith is an economics and banking and finance graduate of The University of the West Indies. Send comments to the Jamaica Observer or maliksmith774@gmail.com/@MalikSmithJM.