Cops receive first illegal gun as amnesty gets underway
(CNS): As the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service launched a firearms amnesty on Friday, police immediately received the first illegal weapon. They said a gun and a significant amount of ammunition was surrendered and, thanking the public for that first step in making the community safer, they encouraged others to follow the example. The amnesty opened on 1 June and will continue through this month. The initiative offers clemency for the possession of unlicensed firearms to those who hand in their illegal guns and bullets.
The video below explains the details of the amnesty and different ways to surrender a gun or ammunition. This, as well as a full written explanation of the amnesty, is now on the firearms amnesty page of the RCIPS website.
Based on previous amnesties, police believe that involving the local churches will improve the success rate of the ‘no questions asked’ initiative and help them in the goal of removing guns from Cayman’s streets. As a result, people can also contact a number of local pastors (see list below) to arrange for a weapon to be handed over.
Over the last few years the police have enjoyed a certain degree of success seizing guns, but there are still too many out there and the amnesty is another way to build on that success.
“The goal of this amnesty is simple. We, along with all of our partners in this campaign, just want to get as many guns as possible off the streets,” said Deputy Police Commissioner Kurt Walton. “Over the past twelve years 35 young men have been killed with a firearm in the Cayman Islands. This is far too high a number for our small islands and a sobering statistic.”
The amnesty hours are 7:00am to 10:00pm daily and concludes at 10:00pm on Saturday, 30 June.
Police are urging people to turn guns in during the month of June and avoid a seven- to ten-year prison sentence for possessing an illegal gun.
Guns that are being handed in must be unloaded, packaged up separately from the ammunition and wrapped with duct tape. People taking a gun to a police station in a car are advised to place the unloaded and wrapped weapon in the trunk.
The Participating Pastors List
| Name | Church | District/ Area | Phone# |
| Tom French | Church of God Cotton Tree Bay | Cayman Brac | 925-2111 |
| Winston Rose | Church of God | Bodden Town | 916-0776 |
| Rohan Forrester | United Church in Jamaica | Bodden Town & North Side | 325-5563 |
| Torrence Bobb | First Assembly of God | George Town | 916-5639 |
| David Tayman | Cayman International Assembly of God | Camana Bay, George Town | 917-5774 |
| Alson Ebanks | Church of God Chapel | George Town | 926-1489 |
| Dino Robinson | First Bilingual Christian Church | George Town | 916-7336 |
| Dave Jorge | First Baptist Church | George Town | 926-0461 |
| Shawn Knight | Church of God Chapel | Frank Sound, North Side | 925-4204 |
| Garrett Haylock | Church of God | West Bay | 916-1345 |
| Christopher Rose | Church of God | West Bay | 916-3748 |
Category: Crime, Crime Prevention, Police
No matter how good the intention, this wont produce any meaningful results because we just don’t want to understand the nature of criminals . We want to think that crime and criminals are circumstantial problems instead of a character, upbringing and culture issue. The gun isn’t the issue here. The entitled scumbags who want to rob you and your families behind them are.
Yes, but some are scared and aren’t over the fence yet so give them a chance to come clean. We can do both, I just hope RCIPS keep working to be better.
Always funny to hear this feel good hippie logic. Not only criminals have gun. Fyi. Peace is maintained through the threat of overwhelming use of force. Time to grow up out of your little cocoon and learn how the real world works.
CNS: The real world looks like this – America’s unique gun violence problem, explained in 17 maps and charts
Glad we aren’t like the US, I left there to raise my children in a less scary place.
CNS, you can try to give facts to these people but they don’t listen. Thanks for trying though.
Will there be any way to know for sure that all weapons turned over to pastors will be turned over to the police? And what checks and balances are put in place with the RCIPS so that no guns go missing? Not that drugs have ever gone missing or anything.
Anyone have any details of the gun and ammo surrendered? Was it a firearm or, as has happened in past amnesties, just some toy BB gun?
Be quiet and enjoy the show.
A BB gun is a firearm. A firearm is anything that projects missiles, big or small and is lethal if youre hit in the right spot.
So like my fist then?
it would take balls for someone to drop off an illegal gun. So big up yourself for making the first step to change. if not changing the country at least changing for yourself, and making yourself a better person (BABY STEPS) its a good start. GOOD MOVE! hopefully some others will grow some balls and man up and put the stupid guns down. ONLY a COWARD and a WEAK man need a gun! So be strong and put them down …
Until someone run up in your house and hold you at gun point. Then you’ll see who the coward is…
So you think some running up and surprising you with a gun means you’ll have time to get your own? LOL
Incorrect, farmers need guns to shoot pesky iguanas and goat thieves.
i think if there was an additional pastor in Cayman Brac it would be beneficial. Nothing against Pastor French!
Offer 1000 C.I for each weapon. The Gov has spent and lot more, and gotten a lot less in the past.
Or even 500.00 ,it may just do something more encouraging ,.
I applaud this, I really do. I hope those with illegal weapons bring them in so the number of illegal weapons on the street can be reduced. I sincerely hope this is as successful as they hope it will be. I know the number of people bringing in illegal weapons is only a fraction of the actual number but I guess some is better than none.