Opposition Leader Jamale Pringle says tougher prison sentences for firearm offences are necessary but will not, on their own, solve Antigua and Barbuda’s crime problem, calling for greater emphasis on prevention, gun tracing, law-enforcement resources and intervention with young people.

Pringle made the argument Monday during debate on the Firearms (Amendment) Bill 2026, describing the legislation as a response to a “very serious” situation facing the country.

He made clear that he supports strong punishment for people who commit serious crimes with firearms.

“There’s no doubt that persons who commit serious crimes with firearms” should face the full extent of the law, Pringle told the House.

But he cautioned against treating tougher sentences as the country’s “saving grace,” saying other factors contributing to crime must also be addressed.

Pringle pointed particularly to the apparent involvement of increasingly younger people in serious crime, saying that trend signals a broader social problem.

“The age group is getting younger and younger,” he said.

He argued that while Parliament is strengthening penalties to keep firearm offenders behind bars longer, authorities must devote similar attention to preventing crime and stopping illegal guns from entering Antigua and Barbuda.

“What are we doing … to prevent these firearms from entering Antigua and Barbuda?” Pringle asked.

The opposition leader questioned whether previous commitments to strengthen policing, surveillance and forensic capabilities have delivered the intended results.

He specifically raised questions about Antigua and Barbuda’s forensic capabilities, asking whether the country’s forensic laboratory is fully operational and whether evidence still has to be sent overseas for examination.

Pringle also questioned what happens after police recover illegal firearms.

He said the public regularly hears about weapons being seized and suspects being charged but hears less about efforts to trace those firearms and identify the networks responsible for bringing them into the country.

Pringle said tracing recovered weapons is critical if authorities want to “plug the holes” and disrupt firearm trafficking networks.

Later in his contribution, he called for a dedicated firearm tracing unit within the Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda if one does not already exist.

He said recovered weapons should be traced from the person found with them back through their supply chain and ultimately to their manufacturer.

Pringle also called for greater collaboration with regional and international agencies to help authorities identify and dismantle networks supplying illegal firearms to Antigua and Barbuda.

He backed stronger Customs detection capabilities as part of that effort.

The opposition leader also questioned whether law-enforcement agencies have sufficient resources to make tougher legislation effective.

“If you cannot catch the criminal, this bill serves no purpose,” Pringle said.

He referred to previous concerns raised by police about resources and said adequate investment in the agencies responsible for enforcing the law is essential.

The government has also publicly described border enforcement as a critical part of its response to gun crime. Cabinet last week approved the acquisition of specially trained detection dogs for the port and said stronger border controls must complement efforts to remove firearms already circulating in communities.

Pringle said the legislation would only be as strong as the resources provided to the agencies responsible for enforcing it.

“If we’re just going to pass this to deal with the people who we catch with firearms and there’s no effort in going after the persons who are importing these firearms into Antigua and Barbuda, we’re wasting time in here,” he said.

“The ultimate goal must be to ensure that firearms are not imported into Antigua and Barbuda.”

Pringle also called for greater investment in communities, including facilities that provide young people with alternatives to spending time on street corners where they could become exposed to criminal activity.

He said tackling firearm violence requires attention to the social conditions contributing to crime, not simply punishment after an offence has occurred.

The opposition leader also called for further reform of the prison system, with greater emphasis on rehabilitation.

“Persons who enter the prison come out worse than how they’re going in,” Pringle said.

He additionally raised concern about hard drug use among young people and its potential effect on their mental health, saying authorities must examine the causes behind those problems.

Pringle said the Firearms (Amendment) Bill should therefore form part of a wider national strategy rather than be viewed as the complete solution to firearm crime.

His position partly overlaps with the government’s stated approach. Cabinet has previously said enforcement alone cannot address the social conditions contributing to youth violence and has identified families, schools, churches, community organisations and social-service agencies as having roles in prevention.

The Firearms (Amendment) Bill forms part of a broader package of measures being pursued by the government in response to firearm violence. Government statements ahead of the parliamentary debate said the legislation was intended to strengthen sentencing provisions while being accompanied by increased policing, investigative and forensic capabilities.

This article was originally published by Antigua News Room. Read the original article here: Pringle: Tougher Gun Sentences Alone Will Not Solve Antigua and Barbuda’s Crime Problem.