Experts say PSD efforts to curb festive firing hit the mark

AMMAN — Police Chief Maj. Gen. Fadel Hmoud on Thursday pledged to curb the phenomenon of festive firing in a bid to ensure people’s safety and security.

“It is extremely important to implement His Majesty King Abdullah’s directives in combating festive firing by ensuring that the rule of law is applied equally to all citizens,” Hmoud was quoted as saying in a Public Security Department (PSD) statement.

The police chief’s remarks were made during a meeting with several PSD commanders and directors to inform them of King Abdullah’s directives to implement the rule of law "equally and without any favouritism or wasta,” the statement read. 

Hmoud stressed the need to “follow up on any reported incidents in the utmost serious and firm manner”.

The police chief’s remarks came one day after the PSD said it had renewed its campaign against celebratory firing and the unlicensed carrying of firearms.  

As part of its campaigns to curb festive firing (the indiscriminate firing of guns into the air to celebrate various festivities), the PSD stressed that it will adopt the "most severe legal and administrative measures, possible", against perpetrators of festive firing.

The PSD also pledged to conduct campaigns throughout the governorates and arrest any person in possession of a firearm without a licence, as well as those selling weapons and ammunition specifically for celebratory firing. 

The PSD called on citizens to support its initiatives to overcome this phenomenon, urging the public to call 911 and report any shootings anonymously. 

Abdullah Darawsheh, who holds a PhD in criminology, described festive shooting as “one of the most dangerous phenomena in Jordan”. 

This harmful practice, Darawsheh told The Jordan Times, “is causing grave harm to the safety and security of the community and our citizens”. 

Darawsheh, who is a professor of Criminology at Mutah University, said introducing stiffer laws and ending favourtisim and wasta is one of the most effective measures PSD can take to curb festive firings.

 The university professor added that other measures could include “controlling the sale of arms in the country by introducing relevant laws or shutting [down] the over 100 stores around the country that sale handguns and other weapons”.

 “We also need to have a national strategy that is based on a comprehensive study by academics and experts to determine why people use weapons to express their happiness and the best method to curb this harmful phenomenon,” Darawsheh added. 

Former governor Abdul Jalil Suleimat said the firings are “part of Jordanian lives and culture”. 

“It has become sort of the norm for many people to celebrate certain happy activities using live ammunition,” Suleimat told The Jordan Times. 

 The former governor praised the PSD’s steps to enforce certain measures and try to crackdown on the problem, but admitted that “it would be really hard to prevent it totally”.

 However, Suleimat added that the practice would likely “fade away with time because of the strict measures that are being applied by law enforcement agencies, and because the price of weapons and ammunition is increasing and people are unable to buy firearms and bullets”.

 The former governor agreed with Darawsheh, that raising awareness about the dangerous phenomenon is an effective measure to “minimise the consequences of this dangerous practice”. 

“I believe one important strategy is to use the media to highlight the plight and agony of individuals who were unfortunately affected by this unhealthy and widespread practice,” Suleimat said.