The number of criminal activities involving guns is no longer just a theory being presented by analysts, it is very real and it is happening now. It is very sad but days when guns would be used to rob people, hold up stores or even be used in a school fight do not seem very far away.

A 29-year-old man from Faleatiu is dead, allegedly shot three times by a 22-year-old. According to police the argument that led to the gun being used was over the ownership of a horse. Just a week earlier, two young men were shot in an alleged drive-by shooting in Sinamoga.

We bring to your attention again, the death of the young policewoman in Aleisa in 2022 and subsequently the number of guns that were seized in various drug raids. People are riding around in their vehicles with guns and some people keep guns in their homes.

The gun laws in this country are quite clear on how and where guns should be stored and what are the types of guns that can be brought into the country. The key issues here are border security and the ability to bring anything into the country.

There seems to be a large hole in the fence, so to speak, because the amount of methamphetamine being found in the country says there is one and through the same hole, illegal firearms are being brought into the country.

The increasing number of firearms in the country would bring in a need to provide more safety for law enforcement. This means the police would be armed. This is a dangerous precedent because armed police would mean that police could also draw fire if they feel they are being threatened.

While the amendments in the gun law and modernising it to deal with the current problems would help but the thing that needs to be immediately done is to find out how these illegal products are coming into the country. There is a need for stronger control of the borders and customs.

The container scanner/x-ray arrived two weeks ago and sits idle for now. It should already be in use.

Guns portray society as unsafe and one of having a high crime rate. That is something not needed especially when Samoa is being promoted as a tourist destination. People travel to places where they feel safe and with guns out in the open, this will not be able to happen.

In 2003, Samoa Police held records of 10,897 shotguns and 6,948 rifles in its firearm registry, for a total of 17,845 privately held, registered guns. That was 20 years ago. During the gun amnesty in 2016, 500 illegal firearms were confiscated by the police and destroyed.

According to research done by the University of Sydney, in Samoa, private ownership of shotguns and rifles is restricted, handguns are prohibited, and all applicants for a firearm license must show a genuine reason for ownership.

With 11,995 licensed gun owners and 17,845 registered firearms, Samoa has 8.2 lawfully held private guns per 100 population. Among 18 island nations of the Pacific, this ranks Samoa with Niue and New Caledonia as having the highest civilian gun ownership rates. Although police do not carry firearms and the nation has no military, state armoury is estimated to hold 200 small arms.

These numbers are more than a decade old and it is believed that the number of guns now is even more. The authorities need to work together and look at reducing the number of firearms in the country.

There is an increase in meth in Samoa and there is a relationship between the drugs and the use of guns, especially when rival dealers or gangs are involved. That is happening in New Zealand. Police have already stated that gangs in New Zealand were looking to set up chapters in Samoa.

The last thing we need is a person walking into a bar or a school with a gun and opening fire.

As it is, one fight at a drinking party results in a series of fights among young men from different villages, what if these youths had access to guns?

There needs to be stricter gun laws and there is a definite need to reduce the number of firearms in the nation.