Two notices were issued today by the Firearms Control Board. The first publicizes the Firearm License Application Requirements, and the Fees and Payment Procedures.
Now, none of this is new, but the chairman of the board, who is also the CEO of the Border Security and Defence Ministry said that transparency is the antidote for side dealing in gun licenses:
Francis Usher, CEO, Ministry of National Defence and Border Security
"The first public notice that we sent out was just outlining the application process, and we felt as the board, we felt that was important to clearly explain. And what was important to the board, in all honesty, being frank, was the integrity of the board."
"We didn't want to create this cloud of secrecy or doubt or where information was not available because in that cloud, that's when actors and agents thrive. So we wanted to ensure that all the information is out there and that anyone who is desirous of applying for a firearm, they have all the information they need."
"So the public notice, the first one, outlines all the different classes of firearms. It outlines the prices associated with applying for the firearms and it outlines where to find the information and what information you need."
"So we just wanted to reiterate that you don't need to pay an agent to apply for a firearm."
Jules Vasquez
"If you have on condition number four. if you have an adverse certificate of conduct being a police record, you may want to find an interlocutor or an agent to grease the wheels for you."
Francis Usher
"So I get where you're coming from. That might have been the case in the past. I can't confirm or deny that. But what I do know is that there have been cases where people have an adverse police record, meaning something pops up on their police record."
"And I can speak to recent applications that the board has deliberated on. If it was a minor offense, for example, or an offense where there are offenses popping up on police records still where a man was charged for a stick of weed 20 years ago."
And that it still pops up. Offenses like that, they pop up. So you have a police record, but we would not necessarily count that against you when applying for a firearm. And I do want to say, Mr. Vasquez, that in Belize, having a firearm is a privilege, not a right."
"Many people confuse the two. You have the right to apply, but it's a privilege to own a firearm."
Jules Vasquez
"Is there a standard for the type of prior offense you can have on your police record and yet still qualify for a gun license?"
Francis Usher
"To say that there is a standard for someone that might have a prior convictions or a prior police record for them to get a firearm, I can't say definitively that, oh, this is where we draw a line. But what I can say is that if you have a previous firearm offense or a previous offense that was violent or aggressive in nature, I hate to say it like it's not even about to apply."
While the first announcement publicized the existing regulations, another announcement changes the Permitted Firearm Adaptations. These can now be added without an additional license, reducing the volume of paperwork the board has to process.
Francis Usher, CEO, Ministry of National Defence and Border Security
"When this was one of the first matters that we deliberated as a board, and it we came to a consensus rather quickly, in terms of a flashlight, a laser, a red dot site. If I have given you a license for a nine millimeter pistol, and as not me, but the board has said that we trust you to safely and legally operate a nine millimeter pistol."
"These accessories make your ability to shoot in theory more accurate. Why wouldn't I trust you to shoot more accurate if I'm saying I trust you to shoot? So that was the thought process behind the accessories."
"There are other accessories that alter the velocity that a round comes out of the chamber or compresses the noise or compensates. Those are not allowed."
Tomorrow we'll challenge Usher on the most controversial announcement - that's the one to lift the moratorium on new.223 caliber rifle license applications.
