UPDATE: National Firearms (Gun) Amnesty 2024

• National Firearms (Gun) Amnesty 2024: Walkabouts and Town Hall Meetings

As we enter the final thirty days of the National Firearms Amnesty (NFA) 2024, the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force (RSVGPF) continues its community engagements by conducting walkabouts and town hall meetings across St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) to sensitize the public about the amnesty’s provisions and to address issues of gun violence, crime, and citizen safety.

To this end, the next round of community engagements are as follows:-

The RSVGPF wishes to reiterate to the public that the amnesty is a “no question ask”, “no prosecution” initiative. It allows anyone who has an unlicensed firearm, replica or imitation firearm, a component part of a firearm or ammunition in his/her position to surrender them to the police or any of the following agents:

• Justice of the Peace
• Barrister/Solicitor
• Parliamentarian
• Minister of Religion
• Firearm Dealers

No information would be recorded from anyone who surrenders an illegal firearm during the amnesty period. The objective of the amnesty is to enhance and improve community safety and security by reducing the ongoing threat of illegally held firearms and ammunition in the state, as well as reducing the likelihood of such firearms falling into the hands of criminals due to break-ins, theft, or accidental loss.

The NFA seeks to achieve this objective by allowing individuals the opportunity to surrender firearms and ammunition to the RSVGPF that they possess without the benefit of a licence granted under Section 4 (3) of the Firearms Act, without fear of prosecution for contravention of the Firearms Act.

The RSVGPF further emphasizes to the public that the penalties for anyone found in possession of an unlicensed firearm have been increased by the passage of the Firearms Amendment Act (2024) in the parliament of St. Vincent and the Grenadines on April 04^th 2024. The amendment among other things, has increased the minimum time of imprisonment from 7 years to 10 years; the minimum fine from $20,000 to $25,000; and added new offences such as ‘unlawful possession of ghost guns’ (homemade), 3D Printed firearms and possession of firearms for the purpose of trafficking. All of these carry stiffer penalties that will come into effect after the conclusion of the amnesty.

The National Firearms (Gun) Amnesty was introduced on Friday 01^st March 2024 for ninety-one (91) days. It will conclude on Friday 31^st May 2024.   The RSVGPF solicits the cooperation of all concerned to help remove illegal firearms from the hands of criminals and from ‘off the streets’ of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Together we can, “KEEP THE COUNTRY SAFE FROM ILLEGALLY HELD FIREARMS.” We urge you to “BRING IN YUH GUN, PUT IT DOWN. MAKE SVG MORE FUN.”