Press Statement
In keeping with the pronouncements of the Hon. Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Dominica at a Press Conference on the 14th of July, 2025, there will be another Gun Amnesty period offered to citizens of the Commonwealth of Dominica.
Over the past week, we have seen two shooting incidents involving the use of illegal firearms that have left one person dead and three others injured.
Your Government does not wish for this to escalate into a national crisis. So the Government of the Commonwealth of Dominica has renewed its pledge to ensure the safety and security of its citizens and to adopt an even more aggressive campaign to rid the streets of illegal firearms.
The Government is once again offering an amnesty period from the 16th of July, 2025, to the 15th of August, 2025. You may recall that such an amnesty was offered in 2007 and again from 1st to 31st October, 2023.
This amnesty programme will allow members of the public who have illegal firearms in their possession to turn in their firearms without any fear of being prosecuted. Therefore, if you have illegal weapons or ammunition or are perhaps an innocent custodian of weapons or ammunition and possibly even unsure as to its legal status, but too frightened to do anything about it, now is the time to come forward and surrender them to the police.
In regard to where the illegal firearms and ammunition are to be surrendered, they can be surrendered at any police station anywhere on the island and must be properly packaged. If you are afraid to surrender it yourself, take it to someone trusted in your neighbourhood like a pastor, justice of the peace, an attorney, or anyone you think will indeed surrender it on your behalf.
The fight against illegal firearms and the use of those firearms to cause harm and bring death to others cannot be fought by the authorities alone. The Government and the police have to remain vigilant but must also be innovative in finding ways to curtail and discourage the use of illegal firearms.
Our efforts will be all-encompassing to fight this evil.
The Firearm Act and all other related legislation will be reviewed and strengthened. Mandatory jail sentences will form part of the reviewed legislation.
REWARD TO THE PUBLIC
I also want to repeat the declaration made by the Hon. Prime Minister that anyone who gives information leading to the retrieval of firearms will receive a reward of $1000 per firearm.
CONCLUSION
We want to assure the public that there will be an intense crackdown on illegal firearms in the Commonwealth of Dominica. We ask the public to join us in saying no to gun violence, in ridding our streets of illegal firearms, and in taking the necessary steps to reform the minds of the people who believe that violence is the answer to problems.
I want to thank members of the public for your cooperation and support so far. Two (2) fully functional pistols have been surrendered to the police along with twenty-five (25) rounds of ammunition.
The Government will continue to provide all necessary tools and equipment to the police to enable its fight against crime and violence. Together, let us stop gun violence.