By JADE RUSSELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

jrussell@tribunemedia.net

MORE than 1,400 destroyed firearms were encased in concrete yesterday, reinforcing the government’s efforts to prevent dangerous weapons from returning to the streets.

The encasement — which comes during a recent spate of gun crime — took place at the Internal Security Division (ISD) of the Royal Bahamas Police Force.

A total of 1,428 weapons — approximately 20 percent of the estimated 7,000 weapons held by police, including weapons that have been seized as well as obsolete weapons from government stockpiles, were destroyed. The ceremony was conducted in partnership with the Mines Advisory Group (MAG), CARICOM IMPACS, and the US Embassy, which donated the underground gun disposal system.

National Security Minister Wayne Munroe said the event demonstrated the government’s commitment not only to the final disposal of illicit weapons but also to improved government stockpile management.

He said the ceremony coincided with the launch of MAG’s policy framework for the sustainable disposal of destroyed firearms and ammunition in the Caribbean.

“The only way to guarantee that a firearm will never be used again is to destroy it and properly dispose of the remnants,” Mr Munroe said.

“It is an important pillar in the policy of gun control, public safety, and arms management. The Government of The Bahamas is keenly aware that improving our nation’s safety and security is inextricably linked to the final disposal of firearms.”

US Chargé d’Affaires Ms Kimberly Furnish acknowledged that firearms trafficking and illegal gun use harm both The Bahamas and the US. She said criminal groups and drug traffickers continue to spread small arms and ammunition throughout communities.

Ms Furnish added that the joint initiative will help prevent weapons from falling into the hands of those who harm The Bahamas and the US. The US-funded programme will improve security, destroy excess guns and ammunition, and provide further training for workers managing weapon stockpiles.

Ms Danielle Jemmott, programme coordinator for CARICOM IMPACS, also praised the initiative, emphasising that the encasement operation ensures the full life-cycle destruction of weapons so they can never enter criminal channels.

In 2023, the Bahamas joined Mexico’s $10bn lawsuit against US gun manufacturers, aimed at holding them accountable for the spread of firearms in the region. The government also partnered with the US-based non-profit Global Action on Gun Violence (GAGV) to explore legal action against firearms dealers, distributors, and manufacturers.

A US judge dismissed six of the eight defendants, including Sturm, Ruger, Glock, Barrett Firearms Manufacturing, Colt’s Manufacturing, and Century International Arms, ruling that Mexico failed to demonstrate a sufficient connection between the companies and Massachusetts, where the case was filed, or that the firearms sold there caused any harm.

Mr Munroe reaffirmed the government’s ongoing collaboration with the US to combat gun trafficking, noting that the US has contributed to efforts to curb the illegal spread of firearms.