The Tribune

By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

MORE than 700 licenced firearm holders were registered in 2018 on Grand Bahama and police are urging those who have failed to the meet the deadline for renewal of their licences to do so immediately.

Det Sgt Bradley Lewis, of the Firearms Licence Office at the Central Detective Unit in Freeport, said that all gun licences expired on December 31, but there then was a 14 day grace period to comply.

“So far, more than 50 percent of persons who are firearm licence holders in the GB district have renewed their licences, but we have a number of persons still outstanding,” Sgt Lewis reported.

“The 14 day grace period would have ended Monday, January 14, so persons will have to pay a late fee of $50 starting January 15,” he explained. “So we encourage all persons who have not come in to renew their firearm licence to come in and do so because right now their firearm is unlicensed.”

“We had more than 700 firearm holders. I want to remind persons that if you have a family member who is the holder of a firearm licence who would have died, the licence cannot be transferred from one person to the next, you have to apply to have a licence for that firearm.

If a firearm licence holder has died, Sgt Lewis said that family members must turn in the firearm to the Firearm Licence Office in and apply for a licence for that same weapon.

Sgt Lewis also stressed that all licenced shotguns are for hunting and should not be kept in a person’s vehicle but should be kept in a locked safe when not in use.

“When darkness falls it should be in a safe and persons are in violation when driving around with it at night,” he explained.

The licence fee for a shotgun and rifle is $150 and $300, respectively, and persons would have to pay an additional $50 late fee if they missed the licencing deadline.

When asked about business owners having firearms at their place of business, Sgt Lewis advised that guns are only licenced for hunting and businesses should contract armoured services to transport their money to the bank.

Sgt Lewis said anyone over the age 18 with a clean police record and no criminal convictions can apply for a firearm licence.