KINGSTON, Jamaica – A total of 658 charges have been laid against 353 persons for various offences under the new Firearms (Prohibition, Restriction and Regulation) Act.

This was disclosed by Commissioner of Police, Major General Antony Anderson during a virtual press conference on Tuesday.

“We continue to work closely with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to secure convictions in these matters,” he said.

He reported that recently, Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) detectives participated in a workshop with DPP Paula Llewellyn and her team, where the requirements under the Act were established and a common understanding reached.

Major General Anderson said that the Firearms Act is a critical arsenal in the fight against the criminal ecosystem.

“By taking illegal firearms off the streets, we are making our communities safer and more secure,” he noted.

He said the JCF looks forward to the updated Fingerprint and Bail Acts, which will also provide additional support to law enforcement.

The legislation, which was passed in both Houses of Parliament last year, establishes a dual regime, distinguishing between prohibited weapons or unregulated firearms and connected activities, and firearms that are duly authorised or registered.

It also speaks to establishing a framework that prohibits firearms and ammunition that are illicitly traded, and which regards possession of those prohibited firearms and ammunition as the foundation on which other heinous and violent crimes are committed.

Breaches of the new Firearms (Prohibition, Restriction and Regulation) Act, which took effect in November 2022, will result in penalties ranging from 15 years to life imprisonment.