Gun laws in TCI: tourists, beware

The Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) police arrested another American tourist on Monday for illegal possession of ammunition. No gun was involved.

That marked their fifth arrest for the same ammo crime this year.

‘They have all maintained that they did not intend to bring ammunition into Turks and Caicos,’ the three governors wrote in the letter. ‘We humbly ask that your government – in its wisdom – temper justice with mercy and recognize that these men made mistakes but had no apparent malicious intent.’

(CNN, May 16, 2024)

Each American faces a minimum of 12 years, regardless of intent. And they should beware that the TCI’s prison makes New York’s Rikers look like The Ritz.

That said, tourism is the main source of revenue for the TCI. Therefore, these Americans can fret knowing that the government will indeed temper justice with mercy. Because the livelihood of most TCIslanders depends on it.

Specifically, I expect guilty pleas to result in each defendant serving a sentence of a year or less, followed by release for “good behavior.” For hope, they need only look to the eight months American Michael Allan Grim served last year for the same crime.

Tourist ammo vs. local guns

Truth be told, the TCI arresting tourists for ammo is like Colombia arresting them for Tylenol. The TCI is my mother country. And family members there would readily attest that gun violence has surged significantly in recent years. 

That violence stems primarily from transient Haitian and Jamaican gang bangers engaged in smuggling and drug trafficking. This year has already seen an unprecedented spree of murders and armed robberies, so brazen that bystanders often become victims too.

Yet, the TCI government touts strict enforcement of ammo laws to bolster its fledgling efforts to combat gun violence. But TCIslanders wish local authorities were as successful in arresting thugs smuggling guns as they are in arresting tourists bringing bullets.

In short, too many wayward young men are rampaging around the TCI, hell-bent on turning it into a little Haiti. And, by definition, turf wars among gangs on a small island mean nowhere is safe.

Misguided law enforcement

Frankly, highlighting these arrests is tantamount to shooting ourselves in the foot. After all, the TCI does not want to become more known for draconian gun laws than pristine beaches.

A few bullets stashed unknowingly in a suitcase should not land a tourist in a TCI prison any more than vape cartridges of cannabis should have landed Brittney Griner in a Russian one. We don’t want Russia to come to mind when tourists consider vacationing in the TCI.

So, I urge the government to settle these cases quietly and post haste. Make a show instead of arresting the gang bangers who, after all, are the real menace to society. Doing so might make them think twice about trying to turn our islands into a gangsta’s paradise.  

Beyond that, I urge the government to abolish this misguided law. Instead, we should simply levy fines on an escalating scale. For example:

• Fine a traveler caught with ammo $10,000.
• Fine a traveler caught with a gun $25,000.
• Fine a traveler caught with both ammo and a gun $50,000.

Confiscate their passport until they pay up. But let’s spare anyone considering a vacation in the TCI the stress of wondering if they might end up in prison for 12 years for making a silly mistake.