Amnesty and buyback programmes to get illegal guns off the streets are set to be launched on September 1st, the Government Information Agency (GINA) has reported.
According to GINA, the initiatives are in keeping with a plan announced by Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan, who stated that the move is one of several strategies being implemented to address crime.
The GINA report said the issue of a gun amnesty was raised and discussed during a high level security meeting that was convened last month in response to growing concerns about the crime rate. The report noted that the administration was brought up to date on several measures that could be utilised to encourage persons to hand over illegal firearms to authorities.
However, it was noted that initial feedback from the Guyana Police Force suggests that members of the public may not want to hand over illegal firearms to police ranks and therefore alternative methods to collect the firearms are being explored. “This may see a civic or an independent organisation being used to facilitate the process,” the report added.
Ramjattan, during an interview with Stabroek News in June, had said government’s intention is to reduce the number of illegal guns in circulation, hence the amnesty. He revealed that under the amnesty, once firearms are brought they would be collected and no questions would be asked and no one would be charged.
He had said the amnesty period could last as long as two years and thereafter those found with illegal guns will face the full brunt of the law.
