The Barbados Clay Target Shooting Association has strongly criticised recent proposals to limit firearms ownership exclusively to police and military personnel, arguing that such measures will not address the island’s escalating gun violence.Speaking to Barbados TODAY, the association’s secretary Gary Field said the suggestion was “ridiculous” and out of touch, since legally owned firearms are not contributing to the surge in crime.“The violence being committed is not with licensed firearms,” he said. He emphasised that anyone seeking to obtain a firearm licence in Barbados must undergo a stringent vetting process, which often takes years and results in the majority of applicants being rejected.“The police conduct extremely thorough background checks—referees, lawyers, alcohol checks—it’s very thorough,” he said.Field also addressed concerns that gun clubs served as training grounds for criminals. “We are cognisant of the fact that these criminals want to practise their shooting, and we are making sure that they aren’t practising at us,” he said. “Great and absolute care is taken to ensure that criminals do not have the possibility of practising their craft at our range.”These comments come in response to a call by the Congress of Trade Unions and Staff Associations of Barbados (CTUSAB) on Wednesday to restrict firearms access solely to law enforcement and military personnel, following a significant increase in gun-related crimes in Barbados.
