Cops get 1000 bullets, 3 guns

| 05/09/2011

CNS): The recent two month long gun amnesty netted police a rifle, a shotgun, a lethal hand gun (left) and almost 1,000 rounds of ammunition. Three airguns, one of which could easily have passed for a genuine handgun if used in a crime, were also handed in during the no questions asked opportunity, which in the second month saw more than $1,240 given in exchange for guns and bullets. Following a slow start, police turned to a local businessman to help sponsor a cash payment for any live ammunition or working weapons handed into police. DS Marlon Bodden said he was disappointed that the amnesty did not net even more guns but it was still a positive initiative and one of many strategies to get firearms off the streets.

In the second month, once the instant cash reward was introduced, the police got more that 875 rounds of ammunition, which included shotgun shells and more than 300 small calibre -.22 bullets as well as a -.380 lethal barrel handgun. Bodden said that he was pleased with the decision to introduce the cash payments because during the second month the volume of ammunition brought into the police stations was quite significant, although several people did not take advantage and simply dropped off the ammunition and weapons without waiting for the money.

“We have to say without this amnesty we wouldn’t have got this ammunitions and weapons,” Bodden said. The senior CID officer added that “it was a tremendous help” to get so much ammunition off the streets. Overall, the amnesty was extremely helpful but was just one part of a wider firearms strategy and initiatives going on.

“Generally I’d rate this amnesty as a success. I would have liked more, but we got what we got and it’s no indication that because we are a bit disappointed with the numbers that we will be  discourage from having it again. We always review the circumstances and incentives to encourage people to bring in guns,” the senior officer said.

Although police statistics have revealed a decline in crime overall in the last year, robberies in which suspects are using real or imitation firearms is on the increase and a worrying trend for the local police. Despite a number of arrests and charges coming before the courts in some of the robberies, many of the perpetrators using the weapons remain at large.

Bodden confirmed that the weapons will be tested by a ballistic expert to see if any of them have been fired in or can be connected with a reported crime. After that, if the weapons are not linked, the commissioner will give the order for the guns to be destroyed.

In last year’s amnesty more than 22 weapons were handed in to the police, along with several rounds of ammunition. None of the weapons could be connected to a crime and they were recently broken up into pieces before being encased in concrete ready to be used as part of the moorings for the new police marine unit, which is set to be constructed at Spotts.

The amnesty was sponsored by Robert Baraud of High Impact Media.

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  1. Anonymous says:

    The guns and bullets that were handed in to the police is not what is expected due to the number of gun crimes but it is better than nothing.  Maybe the police will get better results when the begin to target the friends and families of known criminals and gun men.

  2. Ayatollah Yuso says:

    Anyone with a working brain would have known this re-run amnesty turn-in-your-gun program wouldn't be worth repeating.  Maybe the next one will be for criminals only! 

  3. Anonymous says:

    Are you telling me I could have bought a USD $79 pellet gun at walmart and sold it to the police for KYD $200 ? Dammm!!!

  4. Anonymous says:

    can anyone tell me when we will be getting back 3.2% cost of living allowance for civil servants thats what im more intersted in to hell with the RCIP and UDP or PPM or CCTV cause they cant feed me.

    CNS Note: We have submitted questions to the governor's office about the 3.2% but we are still awaiting answers as soon as we have them we'll post the story.

  5. Anonymous says:

    I too am disappointed.  My disappointment is with the lazy good for nothing RCIPS who are only reactive and not proactive.  I think there should also be a campaign to get the sorry excuses for policemen off the street and get good ones out there that are not afraid of the criminals or related to them!

  6. Cat says:

     I am extremely dissappointed with the amount of guns the RCIPS recieved,which shows there are still alot of people out there with illegal guns, that have no respect for our or their happiness,safety,freedom,peace and the tranqulity,and the amazing quality of life(despite their excuse/ reason for buying those guns) that our precious islands was so blessed for, because I know, and you know that there are not only these 3 and the 2 illegal guns previously handed in, on this island and there were not only 1000 illegal bullets out there either.

    However, consider 1 bullet per person and a thousand people on this island are now a whole lot safer and I'm happy for that. 

    The RCIPS now needs to be fierce and strong and become a whole lot more aggressive and get these guns off the street and out of the hands of these sorry excuses for human beings by force,because sitting back on watching our country being destroyed by a hand full of low lifes is not an option and the police know who each and everyone of them are. This garbage has got to stop. The police can't sit back and wait for a stork to fly into the Police Station with the criminal,information or their smoking gun. If life was that good our country would be crime free.

    It could be that way but we have to work for it.

     

  7. EYE ON THE ISLAND says:

    And our government "don't have a crime plan". PUBLIC SAFETY BE DAMDED, that's what the UDP's actions are. We can't go on like this. We need responsable, caring leadership and it is not coming from our present "Ministers of Misery". Crime pays in the UDP government only because they fail to address this most important issue. United Down Pressers.