Minister for National Security Rayburn Blackmoore says Dominica cannot afford to become complacent about gun-related violence, warning that illegal firearms continue to represent one of the most serious security threats facing the Caribbean region.
Blackmoore made the remarks following his participation in a recent Regional Security System (RSS) Council of Ministers meeting attended by national security officials and police leaders from across the Eastern Caribbean. Commissioner of Police Lincoln Corbette also attended the discussions.
According to the minister, gun crime was identified during the regional meeting as the leading security concern affecting participating territories, particularly as illegal weapons continue moving through transnational criminal networks across the region.
“There is no place for complacency,” Blackmoore stressed while discussing Dominica’s security posture and the wider regional situation.
Although Dominica has not experienced the same scale of firearm violence seen in some neighboring countries, authorities say the island remains vulnerable because of its geographic position and the increasingly interconnected nature of regional criminal activity.
Blackmoore urged members of the public to cooperate more actively with law enforcement by sharing information that may help prevent violent crimes or identify illegal weapons before incidents occur.
He said national security efforts cannot depend solely on police operations and border enforcement, arguing that communities themselves also play a major role in preventing criminal activity from becoming entrenched.
The minister’s comments come amid ongoing regional concern over rising gang violence, gun trafficking, contract killings, and the movement of illegal firearms throughout the Caribbean. Several regional governments have recently intensified intelligence-sharing arrangements and cross-border security cooperation in response to those threats.
At the same RSS meeting, officials reportedly discussed broader security coordination involving organized crime, border management, and intelligence cooperation among Caribbean states.
Blackmoore maintained that Dominica’s relatively lower levels of violent crime should not create a false sense of security, especially as regional criminal trends continue evolving rapidly.
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