By Staff Writer
ROSEAU, Dominica, Sept 12, CMC – The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Sherma Dalrymple, says she may have to discuss with the authorities a ban on the importation of toy guns into Dominica, warning also against the use of realistic imitation firearms here.
Dominica recently implemented a gun amnesty aimed at curbing the rise in criminal activities with the use of firearms, and speaking on the Ministry of National Security programme on the state-owned DBS radio on Thursday night, Dalrymple said that certain stores may be importing toy guns.
“Left to me, I would just ban the importation of toy guns. I suspect that this is a submission I would have to make to the Honourable Attorney General. It is based on what I see every day in court.
“The society we live in right now has a lot of illicit use of firearms. Are we going to nurture our young minds to accept that a gun is just a toy? So what will happen in the future where we have our young minds looking at a gun as being just a toy, and you could just shoot someone.
“It is going to reflect in our society. So I would just simply avoid the importation of the toy guns,” the DPP added.
She told radio listeners that realistic imitation firearms are objects that have the appearance of a firearm and that the Firearms Act makes provision for a fine or imprisonment for anyone found guilty of using an imitation firearm.
She said Section 39 of the legislation “deals with what is termed a realistic imitation firearm, basically it is a device which looks like a firearm, but you cannot tell it isn’t a real firearm unless it is brought to an expert.
“There is a prohibition under Section 39 of the Firearms Act in respect of realistic imitation firearms. The prohibition is that one shall not manufacture a realistic imitation firearm, modify an imitation firearm so that it becomes a realistic imitation firearm, sell a realistic imitation firearm, or bring a realistic firearm into Dominica.”
Dalrymple said the legislation applies to anyone who contravenes the measures, resulting in a conviction to a fine of EC$3,000 (One EC dollar=US$0.37 cents) or to imprisonment for one year or to both.
She said that a lot of the sentences under the act include the option “where the courts could both fine and confine an individual”.
Assistant Commissioner of Police, Alleyne Maximen, who also appeared on the programme, said there are many examples of the use of imitation firearms to commit serious crimes in Dominica.
“Persons out there may think that it is just a toy, it cannot fire any rounds, but they can be used in the commission of offences,” he said, recalling incidents dating back to 2013 when imitation weapons were used to carry out criminal activities.
“So indeed there is a concern…and people may just see them as toys, but they are not toys,” the senior police officer added.
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