41,759 application for guns; 2,198 licences granted

Minister of National Security Martin Joseph has submitted a written note to the Senate in which he states that 2,198 people have been granted licences to carry guns over the last eight years - 2002 to 2009. During that same time 41,759 people made applications for weapons.

And the minister said 215 licences have been issued this year out of a total of 4.220 applications. However the bulk of the licences this year - 144 of them - were for non-nationals.

Martin was responding to Opposition Senator Lyndira Oudit who wanted to know the number of persons who applied for firearm licences in Trinidad and Tobago annually and in total since 2002 and the number of applications approved.

She also asked Joseph to give data on the number of non-nationals who were granted firearm licences since 2002.

Here's Martin's breakdown:

• January 1, 2002 to September 15, 2009 - 41,759 applications
• Approved licences - 2,198
• 2007 - 7,957 applications, the highest number for the eight-year period
• Highest number of licences granted during any year - was 514 in 2004
• Non-nationals getting licences Jan. 1, 2002 to Sept 15, 2009 - 360
• Non-nationals getting licences in 2009 - 144