GUNS IN THE HANDS of the untrained user can create havoc as evidenced by the number of fatal and non-fatal shootings recorded so far this year.
The situation in Barbados may not be as bad as in Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana or The Bahamas, but that is of no comfort. This is not about statistics, but human lives.
Far too frequently across this country people are being killed or injured by gunfire. Innocent people are also the victims of the senseless use of firearms by thugs. The relatives of schoolteacher Dwight Holder tragically shot last Thursday night can aptly speak to this issue. It is obvious too many guns are in the hands of criminals.
The miscreants are not concerned about the law while the strategies we have been using and the existing laws are clearly not enough. What were felt to be tough punitive measures for those caught with illegal firearms and ammunition have proven not to be a serious deterrent.
An underlying cause of the burgeoning gun-related crime is the drugs trade which supports the illegal movement of weapons. There is also the gang culture that has taken root in many districts and it is inevitable that the potential threat of violence from these areas will spill into nearby communities.
Those felons possessing and trafficking guns must be targeted, and taken off the streets, while known hotspots must be placed under constant surveillance. Law enforcement must deploy the latest technology to detect and control efforts to prevent illegal weapons getting into the country and then on to the streets.
Gun-tracing methods must be utilised in the effort to stem the epidemic of illegal guns. The intelligence services will have to redouble their efforts to penetrate and control both the gangs and the illegal drug operations if we are to eliminate the threat of the rising tide of gun-related violence.
Yes, Barbadians are depending on Acting Commissioner of Police Tyrone Griffith and his team to take the lead. It is their solemn duty to protect the society from this scourge and they must undertake their mission without fear or favour. But, gun violence is not just a law enforcement matter.
Curbing the prevailing problem requires a multidisciplinary approach as gun-related crime impacts many facets of life. It will also mean that each and every citizen with information about illegal weapons must make it known directly to the police or via Crime Stoppers.
When it comes to illegal gun use, expect no sound judgement from the criminals behind the trigger. There must be no timidity in eliminating the scourge, otherwise the deadly consequences will continue.
