Retired Police Denied Gun Permit Despite Minister’s Intervention

In another CVM Live exclusive, a former police man is this evening lamenting the delays and mysteries in seeking a firearm license locally, after several years. Despite nearly two decades of service in different arms of the JCF and abroad, he was met with a denial. He travelled to Jamaica several times since applying for the license and even sought the intervention of the national security minister, but in the end he was still denied a permit. 

The plot thickens as more Jamaicans incensed by news of the death of two Chinese business owners while awaiting a gun permit goes viral. A retired member of the force has furnished CVM Live with documents detailing his application, delays and subsequent denial of a gun permit despite what he considers years of quality service protecting the Jamaican people at his family’s and his own risk.

Serving over two decades in different areas of the JCF and some of the grittiest police divisions, being assigned a service pistol to carry out these roles and to his knowledge with no history of violence, yet denied a gun permit to protect himself and his loved ones after resigning. The source notes during his tenure he put many criminals before the court which resulted in some of the most convictions. His track record earned him the ire of many he prevented from carrying out their criminal deeds. 

But in 2017 when he resigned from the JCF and applied for a gun permit for personal protection, he was met with a denial. Not just that, he waited several years well into 2020 before being told by way of letter signed by the director of application and certification, he did not establish a need for a firearm license. He wrote to the National Security Minister, Dr. Horace Chang seeking intervention after the years of delays and just before he was denied in 2020. To which a letter allegedly from Dr. Chang bearing what appears to be his signature in May 2021 noted receipt of the former police’s intervention. 

The letter also notes the application was thereby approved and advised the Firearm Licensing Authority (FLA) will contact the applicant regarding same. That was May, by July the applicant received another letter allegedly signed by Dr. Chang advising that further to the initial letter, it’s understood no appeal of the denied permit was sought. It advised that therefore the former police should re apply for a gun permit. Many questions were left unanswered even as the former police admit over the period on a return to Jamaica he was met by one of the persons he brought to justice who interacted with him cordially but notes the interaction could have been otherwise if that ex-convict had not been reformed.