Howard Walker, Staff Reporter
WITHIN THE last five years, police managed to rid the nation's streets of 2,498 guns and over 70,000 rounds of ammunition.
Some 5,825 persons have died from gunshot wounds during the same period. However, the lawmen are uncertain as to the total number of guns and ammunition in the island - legally and illegally.
"To account for the legal gun would be a little bit realistic, but for the illegal gun it would be out of it. It's something we can't trace", said Sgt Paul Reynolds of the Constabulary Communications Network (CCN).
Since the start of the year the police have been picking up more than one gun per day from the streets. So far, a total of 171 guns and 3,942 rounds of ammunitions have being confiscated, so says Superintendent Ionie Ramsay-Nelson, director of the Constabulary Communication Network (CCN).
But will the trend continue?
"With the new crime initiative of more patrols, more officers, then the figures should show if the trend continues. However, I am not saying that there are more guns out there, but we are targeting them, wanted persons, drug dealers and their associates, all illegal activities," she reinforced.
Up to April 23, 2003, some 185 persons have perished by the gun and according to Superintendent Ramsay-Nelson, "the police are trying to keep the figure down to 25 per cent less than last year, that's the figure the Commissioner has set us. We might have slipped a couple per cent, but we are doing OK".
According to the CCN statistics, of the last five years 2001 was the most successful, as 546 guns and over 55,000 rounds of ammunition were seized. It must be noted that the amount of ammunitions found for 2001 is nearly 50,000 more than the total seized over the last four years combined.
Despite this, the same year (2001) holds the record for the largest number of persons killed by the gun 1,327. Of this number criminals took the lives of 1,139 or 85 per cent and the police 148 or 11 per cent. The year 2001 also saw soldiers killing four persons, licensed firearm holders 27, and security guards killing nine.
Last year, a total of 1,315 persons perished by the gun, 12 fewer than the previous year. Once again criminals accounted for 1,045 or 78 per cent of those deaths. However, police killings went down by 15 from the previous year to 133. Licensed firearm holders accounted for 23 of those killed, while security guards killed 11. The number of guns seized for 2002 was 481. The least number of guns confiscated over the last five years is 474 in 1998, which also saw 1,109 deaths. Criminals once again accounted for most deaths, with 953 or 86 per cent, followed by police killings of 145.
The year 2000 accounted for the least number of deaths by the gun -- 1,056 of which criminals were responsible for 887, with police killings being 140. A total of 486 guns were seized and 5,097 rounds of ammunitions captured.
Between 1998 and 2002, 64 police officers were killed in the line of duty.
Year Persons killed Guns
by the gun recovered
| 1998 | 1,109 | 474 |
| 1999 | 1,018 | 511 |
| 2000 | 1,056 | 486 |
| 2001 | 1,327 | 546 |
| 2002 | 1,315 | 481 |
