Premier: BVI has little say over gun licensing rules
Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley has said the Virgin Islands has limited influence over gun licensing laws because responsibility for the issue rests with the Governor under the territory’s constitutional arrangements.
The Premier made the remarks during a press conference last Friday after being asked about renewed public debate surrounding firearm licensing following a recent arrest that reignited concerns about public safety and self-protection.
Dr Wheatley acknowledged that residents were discussing the issue but said the existing framework places responsibility for gun licensing outside the authority of the elected government.
“There is a regime that we have in place for the licensing of guns. Persons can apply for gun licenses,” Dr Wheatley said. “This is an area under the remit of the Governor, representative of the United Kingdom, who is responsible for our internal and external security.”
He noted that the United Kingdom’s longstanding approach to civilian firearm ownership differs from that of jurisdictions such as the United States. “We don’t anticipate that the United Kingdom would be supportive of a proliferation of guns in our community,” he stated.
However, the Premier said the issue should remain part of a wider public discussion and suggested that any meaningful changes would require constitutional reform.
“But I believe it’s an ongoing conversation that the people of the Virgin Islands must have,” Premier Wheatley said. “Ultimately, this conversation extends into the constitutional realm because the people of the Virgin Islands right now do not have much means of accountability as it pertains to the laws or the practices which would govern things like gun licensing because that’s not an area where the democratically elected leaders control.”
He argued that while public debate is important, the UK’s position on firearm ownership remains largely settled.
“So while it’s important to have the conversation and the discussion, I think generally the United Kingdom’s position on things like that is pretty much fixed,” Dr Wheatley stated. “And if we want any possibility of a change there, I would say that that has to be an area where the democratically elected leaders control and the will of the people would have to be reflected in the legislation that the leaders passed, or even the licensing regime that the leaders would implement.”
The comments came as the Virgin Islands continues constitutional negotiations with the United Kingdom, with the government seeking greater local authority over areas currently reserved to the Governor. During the same press conference, Dr Wheatley said the first round of negotiations had helped the UK gain a clearer understanding of the territory’s constitutional proposals.
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“We don’t anticipate that the United Kingdom would be supportive of a proliferation of guns in our community,”
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Well, one could argue that the United Kingdom as represented by Government House IS supportive ironically of the a proliferation of guns in our community by the BAD GUYS because it appears that whatever actions or lack thereof that they are taking has NOT stemmed the constant flow of illegal guns in the territory.
Personally, I would not like to see guns available readibly to anyone in the territory like it is in the United States.
However, I do adovacate for business owners to have the ability to protect their properties and businesses that are often targeted by criminals
It’s clear to me the RVIPF for whatever reasons cannot protect them all from the criminal elements.
It troubles me that there are so many unsolved murders in this small square miles of land.
This is the pattern in this territory: Someone gets their lives taken by gun violence, the case gets cold quite quickly.
In cases where the police makes an “arrest”, it is followed shortly thereafter by their release of the suspect(s). Mureder after murder, and few people ever gets held accountable. It’s a Killers Paradise here if you ask me. Not good.
I think the Premier can do better here. It’s not enough to say his hands are tied on this gun issue. Since he says it’s Government House responsibility, he can show some leadership by sitting down with the Governor as Premier to hash out some solutions.
Furthermore, the growing gun violence in the territory and the targeting of businesses by criminals is worthy of a change in approach to gun violence, and quite frankly the recent Constitutional Review talks should have been the perfect opportunity to discuss this issue.
How many more people have to die before something else is done? The old ways of doing things is not working.
Something has to change, or else the natural evoluation of this situation will lead to some ordinary citizens talking the law into their own hands which will make matters worse.
Anyway, where we are right now on gun violence in this territory is not sustainable. 2 Murders in a month, and unfortunately, there will be others. The only queston is: Who’s next?
In the United States, firearms are the leading cause of death for children and teens (ages 1 to 19), a mortality rate driven by a combination of homicides, suicides, and unintentional shootings. Every day, approximately 12 children die from gun violence, with an additional 32 shot and injured.
VIslanders would wipe themselves out in a couple of years if guns were allowed.
Who would run the country then?