Tighter regulations coming for gun club

Days after fresh concerns were raised about the possible leakage of bullets from the Jamaica Rifle Association (JRA) head office on Mountain View Avenue in eastern St Andrew, National Security Minister Robert Montague is moving to tighten control at the facility.

Montague met with the executive of the JRA yesterday amid the recent concerns about the operational structure of the organisation.

During the meeting, which also involved the Acting CEO of the Firearm Licensing Authority (FLA), Letine Allen, Montague declared that there were unopened lockers at the JRA that should be cleared by March 21.

At present, the internal policies of the JRA do not allow access to the lockers of its members by any authority, including the FLA.

Increase accountability

Montague told the meeting that there is a need for increased accountability at the JRA.

He noted that an audit of the JRA is to be conducted by the FLA and that by-laws were to be established to allow the authority to access the lockers of members.

According to Montague, this forms part of the general audit of all the ranges across the island, which falls within the authority of the FLA.

Montague said that this is part of the mandate of the Ministry of National Security to create a safer Jamaica.

Last Sunday, The Gleaner reported that some members of the JRA were worried that a lack of control could lead to members, and possibly even visitors, leaving the facility with bullets which they purchased there.

This was rejected by the management of the JRA, which argued that it had sufficient measures in place to ensure that there was no way the bullets it sells could make it into the criminal underworld.