Beautiful Virgin Islands

Friday, Jul 25, 2025

Hon Smith wants mandatory jail time for possession of illegal guns

Hon Smith wants mandatory jail time for possession of illegal guns

Deputy Speaker and Territorial At-Large member in the Virgin Islands (VI) House of Assembly (HoA), Hon Neville A. Smith (AL) has called for stiffer penalties relating to gun crimes, including mandatory jail time for those found with illegal guns.

Speaking during the debates of the Explosive Amendment Act 2021, at the Ninth Sitting of the Third Session of the Fourth House of Assembly (HoA) on May 13, 2021, Hon Smith said as it relates to illegal guns, more needs to be done.

Still penalties for illegal guns


“We have to be serious when it comes to these gun crimes, and I really feel that we need to make a stiffer fine, when it comes to these guns,” he said.

Hon Smith continued, “We have to be sure that we are not going to sit here and accept this kind of behaviour. These guns getting in here somehow, some way, they getting in here. But we have to find where they are coming from. We have to make it so stiff, that they will think twice before they think about bringing a gun in the Virgin Islands.”

The legislator said setting stiff penalties will aid in controlling gun crimes and unless all legislators take a stand, they won’t be affected until it gets ‘closer to home.’

The Explosive Amendment Act 2021, was passed without amendments in the HoA on May 13, 2021, and paves the way for the meaning of the word explosives to be extended under VI laws.


More needs to be done – Hon Smith


The Explosive Amendment Act 2021, was passed without amendments in the HoA on May 13, 2021, and paves the way for the meaning of the word 'explosives' to be extended under VI laws.

Hon Smith said he backs the law as it will allow for the arrest of persons found in possession of explosives and allow the DPP to prosecute for the unlawful possession of explosives such as those used in firearms, however, he said more needs to be done.

“I think we need to go deeper into this bill and make it mandatory that when somebody is caught with a gun, you go in prison, not even a fine.”

The legislator also called for even stiffer laws for those found smuggling guns into the territory.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
×