By: Staff Writer
April 28, 2023
A new joint report with CARICOM IMPACS – The Caribbean Firearms Study said that the rate of violent deaths in CARICOM member states is almost three times the global average. Firearms are used in more than half of all homicides in the whole Caribbean region, and in some countries this proportion reaches 90 per cent.
The report, released by the Small Arms Survey in conjunction with IMPACS, said: The Caribbean region suffers from some of the world’s highest rates of violent deaths, at almost three times the global average, as well as one of the world’s highest rates of violent deaths among women. Firearms are used in more than half of all homicides, with this proportion reaching 90 per cent in some countries. While much emphasis has been placed on firearms control at both the political and operational levels, illicit firearms, and the dynamics of illicit arms markets in this region have received little research attention. The multiple impacts of these realities on the region can be seen via human consequences, socio-economic implications, and security challenges.”
They go on to further say that the report “examines firearm holdings, illicit arms and ammunition, trafficking patterns and methods, and the socio-economic costs of firearm-related violence in the region. This Report examines these issues by drawing on data and information collected from 13 of the 15 CARICOM member states and from 22 Caribbean states in total. The study also incorporates the results of original fieldwork undertaken by regional partners, including interviews with prison inmates serving firearm-related sentences, and research in selected hospitals related to gunshot wounds and the associated medical costs and productivity losses for patients.”
Case study research in the Bahamas, Barbados, and Jamaica reveals that firearm related violence imposes significant public health and economic burdens on Caribbean communities and societies. In these countries, the average medical expenditures for treating a single gunshot wound exceed the annual health spending per capita by ratios ranging from 2:1 to 11:1.
It added: “The US domestic market is a major source of illicit firearms and ammunition in the Caribbean, and is likely the largest source in some states and territories. That said, data gaps and ambiguities preclude a definitive assessment, and available evidence indicates that firearms are also sourced from other countries.
“Firearms and ammunition are trafficked from the United States to the Caribbean via commercial airliners, postal and fast parcel services, and maritime shipping companies. Although the primary transport mode varies from country to country, firearms trafficking via maritime cargo shipments is particularly common in much of the Caribbean.”
The report also went on to say that CARICOM countries need to implement intervention programmes to address the factors that contribute to the regional demand for illicit firearms, including youth involvement in gangs, drug use, and drug trafficking.
“Review lessons learned on the effectiveness of, and consider promoting, community development programmes such as skills development, sports, the reform of school curriculums, and other initiatives to positively engage with young people and provide platforms to educate them on gun violence prevention and other social issues.”
The report also said to: “Develop comprehensive programmes to address the recidivism of gun crime offenders by helping them to reintegrate into society successfully and pursue reintegration efforts in their communities through measures such as job training and placement, peer-support programmes, and housing-support initiatives.
“Assess the impact of urban planning and design—especially at the community level—on the prevalence of firearms trafficking and gun violence; and undertake research in female prisons to better understand the gendered dimensions and effects of firearms misuse and trafficking.
The report also said that firearm licenses need to move digital and standardized to allow for firearm tracing and to facilitate record keeping. In addition, “Promote regional transparency on firearms holdings data, including the firearms of government agencies, in order to promote firearms security and facilitate information sharing, and to rapidly detect firearms losses; and establish a digital mechanism for the regular reporting of data on national firearm licensing, registration, seizures, and destruction, possibly managed by CARICOM IMPACS. This reporting mechanism could be made available to other countries in the region.”