Leader of the Opposition Hon. Jamale Pringle supported stiffer penalties for gun crimes during the September 28 sitting of the House of Representatives, declaring there is "no doubt" that persons who commit serious crimes with firearms "should be faced with the full extent of the law." MP Pringle warned the government that the Firearms (Amendment) Bill 2026 will only be as strong as the agencies paid to enforce it.

"This piece of legislation is as strong as the resources the government puts into the agencies that are to enforce this legislation," the United Progressive Party (UPP) leader told the House. "If you cannot catch the criminal, this bill serves no purpose."

The Bill, moved by Attorney General Steadroy 'Cutie' Benjamin, introduces minimum sentences for a range of firearm offences — from unlicensed possession and carrying guns in public places to selling, manufacturing and importing firearms — and was passed by the House that same day, with amendments made at committee stage. The Attorney General, pointing to Jamaica's experience with tougher gun penalties and to a wave of shootings at home including the recent home invasion in which a pregnant young woman was murdered and a schoolboy shot in the face, said the Browne administration was determined to "fight fire with fire and steel with steel." Real News has chronicled that killing, of 20-year-old Saquania Anthony of Bathlodge, and the year's relentless record of gun violence despite two flagship police operations.

"Not the Saving Grace"

While backing "serious measures," MP Pringle cautioned that the legislation, which he described as comprehensive in its treatment of penalties, addresses only one aspect of the crisis. "I am of the view that this alone is not the saving grace of Antigua and Barbuda," he said.

He pointed to a troubling shift in who is pulling the trigger. "It's not the persons who are of age 35 and older committing these serious crimes. The age group is getting younger and younger, which speaks to a greater social problem that we must address in this country," the Opposition Leader observed, noting that the penalties regime "is only effective if the individual is caught."

That, he argued, makes prevention the real test. "What are we doing, Mr. Speaker, to prevent these firearms from entering Antigua and Barbuda?" he asked, recalling repeated government announcements about beefing up the borders, strengthening the police and expanding surveillance, only for the approach to relax "as if the situation is not a public nuisance."

Forensic Lab Promised Since 2018 — "Is It Fully Operational?"

MP Pringle reminded the Attorney General that a forensic laboratory to improve the country's forensic capacity has been under discussion since 2018, and he questioned whether it exists in anything more than name — likening it to the Information Commissioner, who, he said, is "there by name... but still without a place to work."

"Is it fully operational? Do we still have to send overseas with our own forensic lab being here?" he asked.

The Opposition Leader also pressed the Government on what happens after illegal guns are seized. While the authorities boast of firearms retrieved from the streets, he said, "what I have not heard [is] what happens after they are retrieved... I'm not hearing anything on the issue of tracing firearms so that we can plug the holes or disrupt the networks that are importing firearms into Antigua and Barbuda."

He recommended that a firearm-tracing unit be established within the Royal Police Force — if one does not already exist — to trace every recovered weapon "right back to the manufacturer," alongside greater collaboration with regional and international agencies to dismantle trafficking networks. He signalled support for government measures to strengthen the Customs Department's detection capacity: "I am in support of those things, because today it's somebody on the street; tomorrow it can very well be me."

Police "Cannot Even Get Uniforms"

Turning to resources, MP Pringle cited complaints in the police's own business plan, noting that some agencies reported they "cannot even get uniforms." He expressed hope that the upcoming budget and business plans would reflect a change, warning that without properly equipped law-enforcement agencies the new penalties would remain words on paper.

A Call for Statesmanship — and a Warning on the Judiciary

The Opposition Leader reserved some of his sharpest criticism for Prime Minister Gaston Browne's public conduct, calling for "a more statesmanlike approach rather than making loose statements on the radio station — because, again, the same people that we're going after, they're listening."

He warned that the Prime Minister's attacks on judges and magistrates risk undermining the very justice system the Bill depends on. "When you go after the judiciary, Mr. Speaker, you're bringing the justice system into chaos," he said. If the Prime Minister has genuine concerns, MP Pringle said, he should "use the channels that he knows are available."

The warning carried added weight given the morning's Prime Minister's Questions, during which PM Browne conceded he has "no evidence to send to anyone" to support his claim that there are "crooks" within the judiciary. In the same session, the Prime Minister dismissed as "satire" his 2024 broadcast remark that criminals should dispose of their "hot" firearms however they can — a put-down of MP Pringle's question that has itself drawn public criticism.

"Treat It as a Whole"

MP Pringle further argued that a crime crackdown cannot be selective. "If we're going after criminals — because, again, if you say they're corrupt, they're criminals — we should treat it as a whole, deal with everything, so that the people of Antigua and Barbuda can see a level of fairness," he said, noting that a corruption scandal the Prime Minister himself had alluded to was simply declared "a dead matter — case closed."

And while the Prime Minister appeals for a non-partisan front against crime, the Opposition Leader said, he continues "to throw political jabs" and point fingers at the Opposition without evidence. A genuinely national effort, MP Pringle argued, would bring all stakeholders, including the opposition, around one table, so that "when we leave that room, all stakeholders are comforted with the decision and the position that would have been taken."

Prevention, Prisons and a National Strategy

Beyond enforcement, the Opposition Leader called for communities to be given real support — including upgraded facilities that give young people "an alternative to being on the corner where they're most likely to get involved in crime and violence" — and for total reform of the prison system toward rehabilitation. "Persons who enter the prison come out worse than how they're going in," he said, also flagging hard-drug use among youngsters "at a tender age" and a rising mental-health toll as root causes demanding attention.

Pledging his own commitment "to play a part in ensuring the streets of Antigua and Barbuda are safe," MP Pringle concluded that the legislation "should be part of a national strategy and not the end-all" for firearm offences.

"Not only to put away people for a long time, Mr. AG," he said, "but the ultimate goal must be to ensure that firearms are not illegally imported into Antigua and Barbuda."