Prime Minister, Portia Simpson Miller, among many other promises, announced during her Budget speech in May that an effort would be launched to get rid of the illegal guns barking non-stop throughout the country. In this regard, the Prime Minister was echoing her predecessor P.J. Patterson who also talked about getting the guns.

The Minister of National Security, Dr. Peter Phillips, who is directly responsible, gave some semblance of a progress report in the Sectoral Debate in Parliament earlier this week. He spoke even as daily reports of gun killings continue to emphasise the ubiquitous nature of the weapon, more likely than others, to be used to commit crime or settle domestic conflict.

Not even unsuspecting cruise ship visitors riding a tour bus in a nature reserve in Hanover were spared the rude awakening that this is no idyllic island paradise to which they have been enticed.

No amount of damage control by the tourism authorities can repair the shattered image that 17 visitors will take home to influence other potential tourists. It is small comfort that in the wake of their departure, police killed one of the men who robbed them and escaped into the bush.

We accept from the minister's report to Parliament that since the launch of Operation Kingfish in 2004, a total of 188 firearms and thousands of rounds of ammunition were recovered by 2006. Demonstrating his grasp of the scope of the problem, the minister could tell the nation that there are criminal networks trading in guns and ammunition, particularly in the Kingston Metropolitan Area and the urban centres of St. James, St. Ann, St. Catherine and Clarendon; the rural spread apparently representing the migration from the more notorious crime centres of the capital.

It is clear that more stringent action is needed in monitoring the inflow of guns and ammunition. As we understand it, the existing pattern is that illicit drugs and guns flow from Central America through Haiti as a transit point. That much is well established and known to the international agencies with which local authorities maintain good connections. But guns need constant supplies of ammunition.

Within the security forces, there are rules of accountability when ammo is allocated for specific operations, especially strict in the case of the military. Loopholes are more likely in the case of licensed firearm holders who are entitled to a specific annual quota but are not subject to strict accounting for the ammunition they may use in practice on the firing range. And there are a wide variety of firearm dealers and security companies which we suspect need closer supervision.

In recent times, the discovery of metal containers welded to commercial shipping in the ports points to maritime channels for illegal trading which may well involve fishermen not averse to extra-legal bounty.

In short, as we see it, the local authorities have a good grasp of the overall picture of illicit trading in drugs and guns. But there are still too many loopholes that are reflected in the daily reports of the guns that beat the system in a steady drumbeat of persistent crime.

The opinions on this page, except for the above, do not necessarily reflect the views of The Gleaner. To respond to a Gleaner editorial, email us: editor@gleanerjm.com or fax: 922-6223. Responses should be no longer than 400 words. Not all responses will be published.