During a heated parliamentary sitting focused on debate of the 2026 Firearms (Amendment) Bill, Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne delivered public praise for the Royal Police Force of the island nation, pushing back against growing public and political criticism of the service’s crime-fighting performance. In remarks to lawmakers, Browne emphasized that the modern police force has never been more organized or effective in its core mandate, highlighting a notable shift in speed and success rate for solving serious offenses in recent months. According to Browne, the force now routinely resolves major crimes and apprehends suspects within mere hours or days of an incident, a timeline that marks a major improvement over previous response and investigation efforts. Beyond rapid case resolution, the prime minister also spotlighted the service’s successful efforts to remove illegal weapons from public streets, noting that authorities have already seized between 40 and 50 unregistered firearms so far this cycle. Browne argued that these tangible outcomes are clear evidence that the force is operating effectively, and that it deserves formal public recognition for its hard work. He went on to stress that frontline law enforcement cannot tackle rising gun crime and other violent offenses alone, calling for full, unwavering backing from all branches of government and the general public to sustain the force’s positive momentum. The comments come as the parliament considers amendments to existing firearms legislation, a policy push tied directly to national efforts to curb gun-related violence and strengthen public safety across Antigua and Barbuda.