Benjamin's Writings

How American firearms ignited the gun crisis in Jamaica

by Benjamin Ruge

The United States firearm market and negligent laws surrounding gun purchasing and trafficking is inadvertently fuelling Jamaica’s rising gun crisis, with firearm-related homicides on the rise over the last decade. 

From 2014 to 2016, over 50,000 firearms that originated in the US were recovered across 15 countries in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean as part of criminal investigations, according to Center for American Progress expert Chelsea Parsons. 

“The US legally exports an average of 298,000 guns each year, however, many of the same gaps and weaknesses in US gun laws that contribute to illegal gun trafficking domestically likewise contribute to the illegal trafficking of guns from the US to nearby nations,” Parsons said.

In the early 1970s Jamaica experienced an exponential rise in gun violence, particularly between criminal gangs and supporters of opposing political parties, but the violence that occurs now is more common in turf wars, neighbourhood beefs and petty feuds. 

The increased gun violence resulted in tightened gun laws, which saw the creation of the Suppression of Crime Act and the Gun Court Act which enabled police and military to collectively tackle the issue, as well as the introduction of firearms licensing.

Jamaican law enforcement, despite recovering fewer than a thousand firearms a year, placed importance on submitting seized guns for tracing, with 80 per cent of those who can be traced by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives originating from the US. 

In 2017 it was estimated Jamaicans held 246,000 illicit and licit firearms, with law enforcement and military having just 16,500, and a firearm-related homicide rate of 73.3 per cent, highlighting the severe imbalance that Jamaican authorities face when it comes to controlling gun violence in the country. 

Throughout 2018 and 2019, regions across Jamaica were in declared states of emergency due to a rise in armed murder, with Jamaican Prime Minister (PM) Andrew Holness’ Government’s goal to see a reduction in crime, offering law enforcement agencies the resources and support they need to ensure they can effectively deal with crime and murders. 

“We as a government are deeply impacted whenever a Jamaican is affected by crime. 

“Crime impacts families and by extension, our economy. 

“We must end gun violence,” Mr Holness said.

With Jamaica suffering one of the highest homicide rates in the world, and civilians holding an arsenal large enough to rival police, it’s evident how violence has impacted society, with an average of 40 per cent of the Caribbean population identifying crime and security-related issues as the main problem facing their country.

Controlling American guns is often only considered on a national scale, but if laws were tightened, making the purchase process difficult locally, trafficking efforts to surrounding nations would be hindered, according to Center for American Progress expert Eugenio Weigend. 

“If the United States passed stronger gun laws such as banning assault weapons, high capacity magazines and tightening background checks, gun trafficking in the region would decrease.

“Of course, criminal networks might find other venues, but would likely be more costly,” Mr Weigend said.