The Parliament of Dominica has approved a new Firearms Act and under the legislation imitation firearms will be forbidden.
Concerns have been raised about the use of imitation firearms or toy guns, with some calling for a ban on the sale of the items.
Minister for National Security Charles Savarin described it as a “matter of grave concern”.
“At Christmas time persons have in their stores for sale imitation firearms which look very realistic. persons in fact use imitation firearms to commit offenses because the victims have no way of distinguishing whether in fact the persons threatening them are using a firearm capable of discharging a projectile or an imitation firearm which perhaps can and may even be able to make a sound,” Savarin said.
Savarin said items as toy guns will be ‘outlawed’ in the Dominican society, meaning that store owners will be prohibited from importing them. “We cannot import them, we cannot offer them for sale, and we cannot be in possession of these imitation firearms,” he stressed.
The new Firearms Act also means stiffer penalties for firearm related offenses including illegal possession and importation of firearms. The Act will provide for “mandatory sentencing” for whoever uses a firearm to threaten or assault public officers while executing their duties. A maximum of 15 years will apply to such a crime.
The Firearms Act forbids the discharge of firearm within 50 yards of any road and less than 50 yards from any house.
Please follow up. Chinese still selling them. Go INVESTIGATE PLEASE. Check DNO for the story.
cool
so how come Chinese stores still selling dem?
sometimes im sadened the way my country men see in black and white. no one thinks critically, just vomiting a bunch of borrowed cliche’ – do we look on BBC and see how the governments of our world employ their guns with impunity against their own civilians. let us hope that we will “NEVER” cry out and wish we had a gun to protect the very rights that we are so eager to surrender. cuz guns dont kill people, people kill people. the question we should be asking is why people killing each other: maybe prices go up, maybe no decent wages? maybe inequality? maybe everybody want a comfortable life, like the one u have,problem is HOW TO GET IT? how my son going to look at me next to my neighbour that have the SUV, will he listen to my council or be blinded by the rewards of life that others attain with a seeming ease simply because they are favoured, or know the “right” people. those are the questions we need to address but i dont expect allu to “get it” you all never do. i found myself here but i dont think i was born here. so i think i jus might leave here.
in all honesty i survive most days but i wonder how some folks do it. u all feel nothing for each other maybe that is the start of OUR problem. i dont want nobody hungry and have to look at my pocket
but carry on people carry on
question: nobody wants to have to survive by pointing a gun at someone else. why arent we just as eager to empower and deter those who may see a gun as their way to have. Dominica HARD i tell u and if you say I lie, tell me where u shopping or what tree u shaking. i really wish that when allu close a door allu would open a window, Because if the “act” dont work, dont u think it will just embolden criminals and make thing worse
jus my thoughts
the pepople dat want the toy guns band is the ones that think they will pocket and save dat little $25 they use to buy a TOY gun once a yr for their child or they never had dis things in there child hood lol
Ha, You could,BAN,what you want,You could ban your Head, your Foot,your Toe, Gun Crimes will continue.As long as a Government, does not look at itself as the Parents of the People of the country, All kinds of Crimes will escalate. A Parent always wants, what is best for their child and so they create an Enviroment that the Child can and suppose to be comfortable in. The same Suppose to apply to any Government.Create an Enviroment where all citezens, from School Children to the Highest Professional is comfortable,Proper Mechanisms, in place , ensure your checks and balences are working,minise corrup practises,Pay good wages and salaries.Do things to make your Economy grow
About time!
To those wondering how a life will be lost if robbing someone with a toy gun…..consider someone using a real gun in self defense against the robber with the toy gun, because it looks so real.
Does this new law take effect immediately? If so, all Chinese stores will need to destroy lots of toys guns that they have happily been selling to our people for years now. Will there be an inspectors checking on these shops or should we ourselves report to authorities when we see these guns in stores?
Times have changed. When we grew up and kids had ‘cowboy’guns, we weren’t influenced by gansta rap and the glorification of such violence. The bling bling and gansta mentality that came with cable tv (MTV and BET) and others, has contributed to the deterioration of what was once a more dignified society.
Somebody put this very well:
Gun Control – A theory espoused by some monumentally stupid people; who claim to believe, against all logic and common sense, that a violent predator who ignores the laws prohibiting them from robbing, raping, kidnapping, torturing and killing their fellow human beings will obey a law telling them that they cannot own a gun.
Do the crime, do the time. Show no mercy in the commission of a crime using ANY kind of weapon. I’ve never in my life seen a gun jump up from a table and shoot somebody and cutlasses don’t walk down the street slashing people. You can be just as easily killed with a club as with a gun. Should clubs be banned? Kitchen knives? Rum bottles?
Parents and teachers are responsible for raising well adjusted, law abiding children that become productive citizens and examples for future generations. This is what needs to be concentrated on. The government, schools and church should extend all help and efforts to assist in this.
Check them police to there are some crooked ones that in the guns selling business not what I saying that what I know that why that tug from portsmouth keep getting away with his crimes enough is enough we need a new prison so they can go there for life .
Only disappointment in this Firearm Act is that, it should have included using or being in possession of a firearn or ammunition within 1000 feet of a school building your get 15 years.
Today, we have very powerful guns and its use in that area can have disasterous consequences for our kids on their way to and from school. Very good job and thanks very much for that piece of legislation.
Keep up the good works and keep developing Dominica for us all.
Let’s wait to see how these laws are applied God’s willing.
people open your eyes it is time to be awake better late than never remembering our children grands and the rest to come as we all pledge to build a prosperous and peaceful nation .WHAT WILL THEES TOY GUNS DO TO OUR CHILDREN ?WILL THEY BECOME DOCTORS LAWYERS TEACHERS POLICEMEN OR ARE WE LOOKING AT TOMORROWS GANGSTERS ?
While we are at it, why don’t we go to the ridiculous lenght and give boys bibles to play with. That way they can all grow up to be nice alter boys. But the priests might have a foeld day with them.
How many of you guys had guns when you were growing up? I had all kids of guns, yet I do not even break traffic laws, much less commit crime. The majority of people are law abiding citizens. Criminals who are bent on using a gun to commit a crime will find a real one of they cannot find a toy gun. That is the point you guys fail to grasp. Criminals do not give a damn about laws and penalties. If that were so, there would be no crimes committed. They are all aware of the penalties. Heck , a lot of them already been to prison, yet they still commit crime. What does that tell you. It tells me, if tey want to commit their crime, law or no law, ban on toy guns or not, they are still commit their crimes. What the government needs to do is create conditions that divert people from these streams – education, jobs, give people hope that their lives will be better if the follow the right path.
I do think they should ban the guns – but true say!! Particularly your last sentence.
In bygone years hardly ever, if none at all guns were used to murder and maim people.
Banning should not solely consist of toy guns. Guns of every nature should be banned.
kids do not need toy guns to play.they can use toy trucks ,bats, balls and many more toys.there is no need to teach our kids to shoot ,ok.
It shouldn’t be only pertaining to law enforcement/ public officers.Here’s my opinion anyone caught with an illegal firearm and ammunitions should be given the full sentence. Using any firearm during the commission of a crime, full sentence. Brandishing any illegal firearm in public, full sentence.First offence 15 yrs. Second offence a maximum 50 yrs. Make it impossible for the magistrates/ judges to accept any plea deals. Last but certainly not least NO BAIL.
and yea mr savarin all the laws u all passing talking about gun laws u all aint saying it publicly that its for grand bay people u all passing those laws but if we open the same law book am sure we will see grand bay written under the laws so wheel and come again cause allu aint ready yet thats why i aint into politics cause is allu belly and pocket allu there fulling
well mr Savarin if you all wanna ban toy guns then u should ban first of all marpin cause they got programmes and movies where the kids or people see real and toy guns and not only that but they see it in action they see how it is used so lets start banning second of all you all need to ban technology the internet cause everything is there on the internet its just a click away and u see more real guns and toy guns on the net than in real life and not only gun crimes are crimes we got knife crimes we got burglary and so many others and we see it on the tv on the net in real life as well so lets not try to make the outside world believe that we got the answer to no crime cause we dont what we need to do is provide our young people with more options in life giving them the chance to choose between different careers provide us with proper and i mean proper sporting facilities invest in young people get young people into sports so much people i know off who has been very good in certain sports at school and they left school and they on the road side doing nothing or some of them a stocking shelves or working hard to earn a bread when they could become a professional basketball player footballer tennis player or whatever u all a preventing young people from exploring their god given talents savarin help develope the youths cause is they thats gonna be the backbone of dominica tomorrow while u will be sitting in your rocking chair remembering all the good times u had and living off your earnings and stop this foolishness about banning toy guns lets get real here ok young people need a life in this country we dont wanna have to migrate to another country where the crime rate is much more higher than ours and worst than ours to find a better life we want that life in our own country thank you very much.
I agree with. Your point about Marpin is very interesting – in many countries they have the ‘water-shed’ period, this means that programmes with sex/violence/anti social behaviour are not shown before 9pm. This is not a fix it but at least it is something but because of modern technology parents have to do a lot more and be even more aware of exactly what their children are watching. TV can influence people otherwise companies would not spend millions on advertising their products on it. Perhaps there should be just one tv and one computer per family and this is in the lounge area where everyone can see what is going on. I am often very shocked at some of the content in films that are shown at any time on tv.
excuse you one tv and computer per family did you hear yourself get real if you cant afford more than one then so be it but dont limit other because you are unable to have more than one
How many of us grew up using toy guns and water guns and have not resorted to violent killings. What is going on? Banning toy guns is not going to solve any problem. The penalty for illegal firearm possession – yes.
Banning toy guns altogether was not necessary! Kids still need toys to play with. All that was needed was laws, similar to that in North America, which would mandate that all toy guns SHOULD have the bright orange nozzle.
Well let me tell you in NY criminals color the real guns to look like fake ones paintibgbtgem bright orange and yellow. If kids want toys buy them cars, let them do puzzles.
And after they out-law toy guns, people going to start putting alkalee and water in toy gun and mess up people eyes. what will they do then?
good job
that is a good time to count our eggs b4 they hatch
cause if our young people is expose to those realistic firearms
what you believe they would want when they come of age
It was about time. I live in a place where for possession of an imitation firearm, the minimum is 5 years. Stores do not sell toy guns here. The toy guns can be painted black or silver and appear to be very real to the victim at whom it is brandished.
i totally approve of this new laws
Praise the Lord
banning toy guns? How about banning the real ones? I do agree they need tougher laws, and no loopholes for lawyers. How about background checks, an OECS gun background check database. How do these illegal guns get in to the country anyway? We need to check the foxes guarding the chicken coops… any tougher penalties for bribery, tampering, coverups? Hope so. But it’s a good first move…
How is a life going to be lost if someone robs a store with a replica?
These governments too like to take the simple shortcuts to solve more complex problems. Provide opportunity for the masses – education, jobs, better health care – and you will see how quickly your crime rate will drop.
The Americans took the same approach to fighting crime – long prison terms, 3 strike bills etc.. That did not do anything to reduce crime. The only thing it did was balloon their spending on correctional services. They are now taking a very serious look that that failed program.
All this nonsense is just a smoke screen
I believe that the ease at which residents in the US can obtain a gun is the real problem. The average man on the street does not need a gun. The gun culture especially among the “Ganstar Rap” generation that is permeating the American society and rapidly proliferating in the Caribbean is of real concern and all steps should be taken to change the mind set of our children towards the possession and use of a gun whether real or fake. There are many other toys that our children can play with. They do not need imitation guns!!!
You to bias bcus is not your government that doing it your idiot.AMERICA HAVE ALL WHAT YOU SAY THERE WI.IDIOTIC MULE.THEIR CRIME RATE DROP?
So you trying to say if you rob somebody with a fake gun, and they didnt die, a crime wasnt committed?
Although i agree for the stiffer penalties for crimes, i have the observed the police comes in with formidable force lately. They are so well armed i wonder whether they are fighting in Libya. Even dogs get scared. Don’t our officers have riot gear? Just some thoughts and observations
With CEEBEES gone longtime, the toy guns should have been banned longtime too – no cock guns, no capsule guns, no water guns, no starlights, no price guns. There was a guy who had held up a store with a gun one time and had everybody on the floor. What he told the judge was that it was a price gun he had shooting down the prices on the items.
yah only bright colored transparant water guns should be allowed.
none at all bann them
We cannot live in fear of what will happen next. I believe that evry life saved is worth it. Too much freedom enslaves us and so I support this move. I am sure common sense will be used in differentiating between the clear water gun alluded to above and those that cause real cause for concern. Dominica needs to do what it needs to do to protect its citizens and its peaceful image without worrying about other nations’ reactions
so any law just passing in Dominica now so no innocent ,skerrit is the one man army,Dominica need more jobs ,play ground not more hash penalties to make people stress. I sorry to say but the law they pass going to cause more crime now it will more killing of law officers corruption from law makers and more police brutality and lies
Shut up you fool!!
It was about time that those toy guns were banned – the situation last Christmas was frightening. They were banned in some other OECS territories years ago. Good move!
what were the other bills discussed in this sitting of parliament?
hmmm wat happen to innocent until proven guilty… “mandatory sentencing”.. hope it doh backfire in allu tail
Mandatory “Sentencing” applies AFTER you are convicted and are being sentenced. What it means is that instead of merely paying a fine of a few dollars and walking out of the court to go along your merry way if you are found guilty we will serve time in prison.
The same should be done for drug offenses. Instead of just taxing the drug dealers and letting them go to sell more drugs they should face jail time if found guilty.
Are they going to ban water pistols too? I am talking about the ones made of clear coloured plastic? How about capsule guns?
Ban the fake guns. Now the robbers will just resort to real ones.