By Staff Writer
ROSEAU, Dominica, Jul 14, CMC -The Dominica government Monday announced plans for a limited gun amnesty, the establishment of a special unit to deal with firearm offences, as well as the payment to persons providing information resulting in the seizure or discovery of illegal firearms.
Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit made the announcement after several people were killed and injured, including a member of the Logos Hope, the world’s largest floating book fair, who was shot in the buttocks last week as he walked in the capital, Roseau.
The man has since undergone surgery at the Dominica China Friendship Hospital (DCFH), and his condition is not considered to be life-threatening.
Skerrit, who was flanked by the Minister of National Security, Rayburn Blackmoore, the Police Commissioner, Lincoln Corbette, and other senior police officers, told reporters that over the past days, Dominica has witnessed troubling acts of gun violence.
“These incidents, brazen and reckless, have disrupted the peace and shaken the sense of safety that we hold dear as a people,” Skerrit said, offering his “deepest condolences to the family of the victim of these violent acts” and wishing them “a full and swift recovery.
“Let me be clear: this government will not tolerate lawlessness. We will not allow individuals with illegal firearms to destabilize our communities, endanger lives, and undermine our national security,” said Skerrit.
He said that upon his return to the country on Sunday, he convened an emergency meeting with law enforcement and security officials “to thoroughly assess the situation and review the response to these incidents”.
He said that this is in addition to the strategies and plans that the police have been implementing.
Today, I am announcing a series of decisive and immediate measures to address this issue head-on. We are establishing a dedicated Firearms Task Force within the Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force. This Task Force will focus solely on identifying, apprehending, and prosecuting those involved in the possession, trafficking, and use of illegal firearms.”
Skerrit said that the Task Force will be a multi-agency unit, drawing expertise and resources from the Police Criminal Investigations Department (CID), the Special Branch, the K9 Unit, the Customs and Excise Division, the Dominica Coast Guard, and the National Joint Intelligence Centre (NJIC).
He said it will “adopt an aggressive and coordinated approach to stamp out illegal weapons from our streets” and that, effective immediately, the authorities are implementing a confidential hotline for members of the public to report illegal firearms or suspicious activity.
Skerrit said that “any individual who provides information that leads to the retrieval of an illegal firearm or ammunition will receive a reward of EC$1,000 (One EC dollar=US$0.37 cents) per firearm” and that the person’s identity will be protected.
“We are also declaring a limited amnesty period for anyone in possession of illegal firearms or ammunition to surrender them to law enforcement without fear of prosecution. This is a chance for citizens to do the right thing and avoid the full force of the law.”
He said that the details of this amnesty, including the timeframe and drop-off procedures, will be announced police.
Last year, the authorities implemented a gun amnesty that netted only three firearms, but the government defended the measure, saying any illegal gun taken from the streets is at least one life that is not taken.
Skerrit said that the authorities are also “moving swiftly to enhance our crime prevention and detection capabilities” and that the government will begin the installation of surveillance camera systems across the country, starting with the city of Roseau.
“This is a long-term investment in our national security infrastructure and a deterrent to criminal activity. In the interim, I have directed the Police Force to increase foot and mobile patrols in Roseau and indeed across the country. We must restore confidence and ensure that law-abiding citizens can go about their lives without fear.
“I have directed that the state engages a special prosecutor to deal with all major gun-related charges,” he said, adding that “there shall be a ban on the use of tint on all rented vehicles.
“Let me take this moment to speak directly to those who believe they can operate outside the law. We will find you. We will disarm you. And we will prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law.
Dominica is a peaceful nation, and we will not permit our streets to become battlegrounds.
I urge all citizens to be vigilant, to cooperate with law enforcement, and to speak out when they see wrongdoing. This is our country, and we all have a role to play in keeping it safe. For our efforts to be successful, we must all play our part – fighting crime must be seen as a societal responsibility, Skerrit said, thanking the police officers “ for their continued dedication to the safety and security of our people and country.
“You have the full support of this Government, once you carry out your duties within the confines of the constitution and laws of Dominica,” he said, adding, “In the days ahead, we will intensify our response”.
The Police Commissioner told reporters that on July 8, masked men on motorcycles fired upon a group of people, killing at least one person. He said three days later, a young man discharged a weapon, injuring the employee, a South Korean national, from the visiting Lagos Hope vessel.
“He has since been treated at the hospital and discharged. We provided all the necessary support to the crew and the family…and we wish him a full and speedy recovery”.
Corbette said that for the year so far, there have been 11 murders, four of them involving the use of guns, and they have not yet been solved.
“However, we have suspects in three of those matters,” he said, naming them as Ian Alfred, Brent Alexander, and Jamal Ismael Alexis.
“Those three individuals are considered armed and dangerous,” he said, adding that the police have also identified other suspects on the run.
He said to date, the police have seized seven firearms, 84 rounds of ammunition, 16 motorcycles, three motor vehicles, EC$15,000 as well as 1.1 kilos of cocaine and made four arrests since mid-June to last weekend.
He said for the year so far, the police have seized 49 firearms, 289 rounds of ammunition, noting that in those seizures, “we seized three high-powered AR-15 type rifles.
“As I have said before, those are weapons of war and they do not belong on the streets of Dominica,” he said, telling reporters in 2022, the police seized 92 firearms, 2,140 rounds of ammunition.
He said that in 2023, law enforcement authorities seized 35 firearms, 1,651 rounds of ammunition, and last year, 27 firearms and 764 rounds of ammunition.
“This to us is a very significant number of firearms we have seized,” he said, adding that a total of 175 people have been arrested for the use of illegal firearms over the four years.
Blackmoore, who dismissed calls for his resignation, told reporters that “we can’t have our cake and eat it.
“If we want safe streets, we must allow the police with reason to carry out their duties,” he said, urging the population to cooperate with law enforcement agencies to ensure a safe Dominica.
CMC/cj/ir/2025
