In a bold push to strengthen police safety and public security, Prime Minister Gaston Browne has publicly thrown his support behind a policy that would allow all vetted police officers to carry firearms around the clock, addressing long-held vulnerabilities in the current regulatory framework.
Under the existing rules, most officers are required to surrender their service weapons to department armories at the end of each shift, a requirement Browne argues leaves law enforcement personnel exposed to retaliation from criminal actors. He highlighted a particularly high-risk scenario: an officer who arrests a suspect only to see that individual released on bail shortly after, then leaves the officer defenseless once they turn in their gun after their shift ends.
Beyond the threat of targeted retaliation, Browne noted that off-duty officers often come across unplanned criminal activity while going about their personal lives. Without a service weapon on hand, many are hesitant to intervene to stop harm, which can let crimes escalate before on-duty responders arrive at the scene.
Contrary to the current system that restricts 24/7 firearm access almost exclusively to elite units like the Special Services Unit, Browne is calling for this privilege to be extended to any officer deemed mentally and physically fit to carry a weapon. The prime minister confirmed that the proposal has already been brought forward for discussion by the national Cabinet, moving the policy one step closer to potential adoption.
Crucially, Browne emphasized that expanded access to firearms would come with strict mandatory requirements: any officer authorized to carry a weapon 24 hours a day must complete comprehensive training covering safe operation of firearms, appropriate use-of-force protocols, and secure off-duty storage practices to prevent unauthorized access to the weapons.