PNP Youth Organization demands Shane Dalling quit over FLA findings

The People's National Party Youth Organization is calling for Shane Dalling to step down immediately as chief executive officer of the Firearm Licensing Authority, following an Integrity Commission report tabled on Tuesday.

In a statement issued through the People's National Party Media Unit, the youth arm said it was supporting the wider party's demand for Dalling's resignation. The group argued that the Commission's findings pointed to serious breakdowns at the FLA under his leadership, including poor accountability, falsified records and missing evidence.

According to the statement, the Commission found that the identity of a deceased person was used to create ammunition sales records in the name of a licensed dealer. It also said several hundred rounds of ammunition kept in the FLA's vault were unaccounted for.

The organization further highlighted the loss of important server information, saying the data was permanently gone because the government agency had no backup system in place despite its responsibility for regulating firearms and ammunition.

The PNP Youth Organization said young Jamaicans face the effects of illegal guns in their communities and should not be left to suffer while public officials avoid responsibility for institutional failures.

It said the FLA's role is to protect public safety, but the matters raised by the Integrity Commission were a serious breach of that duty. The group warned that any ammunition that cannot be traced could potentially reach communities already affected by gun violence.

The youth arm also urged the Minister of National Security to order a full, independent investigation into the operations of the FLA. It said stronger procedures would mean little without leadership that has public confidence, adding that integrity and transparency must be treated as essential.