Lambert Brown wants 12 months of mourning for gun crime victims

OPPOSITION Senator Lambert Brown is calling for a 12-month period of national mourning for the victims of gun crimes and their families and suggested that the time be used to mobilise the society against illegal guns.

“Last year, 1,463 Jamaicans were murdered…and much more than that over a cumulative number of years. We have had no mourning nationally for them and so I wish to propose that… the Government, through King’s House, proclaim 12 months of mourning for victims of illegal guns,” he said.

Brown, who was making his contribution to the debate on the Firearms (Prohibition, Restiction and Regulation) Act, 2022 in the Senate on Friday, suggested that during the period several meetings should be held nationally to discuss and find solutions to “ending the destruction of illegal firearms”.

“These 12 months should see town hall meetings, meetings in schools, in communities… every month for those 12 months talking about the evil of illegal firearms, working through as a national solution against illegal guns,” he said.

Brown noted that, while the Opposition supports the fight against illegal guns and wants the Government’s legislation prohibiting the use of illegal firearms to be successfully executed, he argued that legislation by itself will not solve the country’s gun problem.

“Let us do something different than just passing legislation and hoping. Despite legislators passing the Anti-gang Act… more gangs have exploded in the country. So it’s not about just merely passing legislation and think that we can hope for an outcome…we need to mobilise the entire society – from top to bottom, left and right, centre, and everywhere in a crusade against the guns,” he said.

He suggested that the 12-month campaign could take the approach of the Government drawing a “red card” against illegal guns as a referee would against a player who has fouled and is then taken off the field in a football match. Brown assured that the Opposition would be cheering as this move is made to rid Jamaica of illegal firearms.

“So we’re not just passing the law, we’re going to go out there and sell the law to the people, get the people involved in different ways in assisting us in red carding illegal firearms… Everything can begin to be all right if we work this thing together, nationally, across party lines, across religious denomination, bringing in our artistes, bringing in our students, bringing in our civic society…we can do it…let us do this together. We are in it with you if you play the ball the right way,” Brown further asserted.

He suggested that a national committee be put in place to plan this period which would begin when the new Firearms Bill comes into effect.

At the same time, Brown further proposed that a special joint select committee of Parliament be established to focus on crime reduction in Jamaica.

He said the parliamentary committee would get reports from the police, use the data to drive policies, and would also invite stakeholders to speak on the matter in camera or in public.

Lambert said the body would then be able to advise Cabinet on measures that can be taken to reduce crime, murders in particular.

“We haven’t tried that yet. Successive governments have not tried that yet and I believe it can be done, it ought to be done…this Opposition is not coming here just to oppose,” he asserted.

In response to Brown’s call for a period of mourning, Deputy Leader of Government Business in the Senate Senator Matthew Samuda, who piloted the Firearms Bill, said he is not in agreement that there has been a lack of recognition or a lack of mourning for victims of gun crimes in Jamaica.

“The issue isn’t to my mind whether or not we have a deep crisis, the issue isn’t whether or not we have paused and reflected. I can recall in the early 90s when the murder rate just started to go up and I was in prep school, we were called to a day of prayer for two children who had been murdered at the time; we have had calls to action by varying religious leaders; we’ve had days and weekends of prayer and much fasting; and...we have even built a monument for children who have been murdered in this country,” he said.

Samuda noted, however, that he believes that what has been absent has been fit-for-purpose legislation and appropriately funded operationalisation of that legislation, which, over the last 25 years, has been inadequate. He pointed out that the amendments being moved along with the new Firearms Bill are to address strengthening operationalisation.

The Firearms Bill seeks to effectively deal with the proliferation, trade, and use of firearms. It was passed in the Senate with 17 amendments.