Steven Mace
03-22-2002, 08:51 PM
Guyana government weighs gun amnesty
AFP - 3/22/2002
GEORGETOWN, Guyana - The Guyana government on Thursday said it is considering an amnesty for persons who surrender illegal firearms, in an effort to curb the flow of guns from neighboring South American countries.
Security Minister Ronald Gajraj's plan to have persons surrender illegal guns and ammunition without prosecution followed concerns raised by the Guyana Police Force about an increase in gun-related crimes.
"Government did consider that idea (of a gun amnesty) and we might well pursue it, but I am not in a position to ascribe a time-frame to it right now because I am looking at what has been the response to such a situation in the past," he told AFP.
Gajraj said that narco-traffickers and arms and ammunition traffickers were taking advantage of Guyana's un-policed river and forested border to ply their trade from Suriname, Brazil and Venezuela.
Addressing a conference of senior police officers, Police Commissioner Floyd McDonald on Thursday said there was an increase in gun crimes, including robbery and homicide.
"What is of concern to us, however, is the violent crimes, especially robberies and murders, that have been occurring and our view is that too many firearms are in the system and too many firearms are being used to commit offences," McDonald said.
Preliminary figures show that firearms were used in 34 percent of robberies in Guyana in 2001, compared to 23 percent in 2000, and 27 percent of murders in 2001, compared to 24 percent the year before.
http://www.thenewsmexico.com/noticia.asp?id=21838
Steve Mace
AFP - 3/22/2002
GEORGETOWN, Guyana - The Guyana government on Thursday said it is considering an amnesty for persons who surrender illegal firearms, in an effort to curb the flow of guns from neighboring South American countries.
Security Minister Ronald Gajraj's plan to have persons surrender illegal guns and ammunition without prosecution followed concerns raised by the Guyana Police Force about an increase in gun-related crimes.
"Government did consider that idea (of a gun amnesty) and we might well pursue it, but I am not in a position to ascribe a time-frame to it right now because I am looking at what has been the response to such a situation in the past," he told AFP.
Gajraj said that narco-traffickers and arms and ammunition traffickers were taking advantage of Guyana's un-policed river and forested border to ply their trade from Suriname, Brazil and Venezuela.
Addressing a conference of senior police officers, Police Commissioner Floyd McDonald on Thursday said there was an increase in gun crimes, including robbery and homicide.
"What is of concern to us, however, is the violent crimes, especially robberies and murders, that have been occurring and our view is that too many firearms are in the system and too many firearms are being used to commit offences," McDonald said.
Preliminary figures show that firearms were used in 34 percent of robberies in Guyana in 2001, compared to 23 percent in 2000, and 27 percent of murders in 2001, compared to 24 percent the year before.
http://www.thenewsmexico.com/noticia.asp?id=21838
Steve Mace