“There is no intentions by me or the administration of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service to close down the FUL (firearm users license) department or even to cease the issuance of firearm user’s licenses.”
That is the assurance of Ag Commissioner of Police, McDonald Jacob.
Jacob made the comment during a press conference at the Police Academy in St James on Friday.
He revealed that approximately 120 FUL applications have been processed, with the Firearm’s unit completing some 800 relevant processes to its operations.
According to Jacobs: “Once persons reach the relevant threshold that is required, they will be, in fact, granted a firearm.”
However, he said, “We are reviewing the firearms act together with the Attorney General’s office headed by OLEP and that is being done to tighten up particular procedures that are within the firearms act to ensure that the majority of persons in Trinidad and Tobago can in fact be protected.”
“We saw the loopholes and it is necessary that we work on it,” Jacob added.
“So all our efforts with the aspect of legal firearms is to ensure the safety and security of the holders of the firearms, their families and the other persons who exist in the community,” he said.
He said this was because there were instances where FUL holders accidentally discharged their weapons harming themselves or others around.
“We already have the problem existing with illegal firearms. We don’t want the problem now where legal firearms now turn into illegal firearms in the hands of others or causing death in our country,” he said.
“So when we talk about the issue of legal firearms, it’s not to prevent persons from obtaining FULs but to tighten up things for the benefit of all of us in the country.”
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