PSD launchs awareness campaign to combat festive firing

AMMAN — The Public Security Directorate (PSD) on Monday launched a nationwide awareness campaign to combat festive firing in the Kingdom.

Under the theme “Do not Kill me with your Celebrations”, PSD officials pledged to follow up on any festive firing complaint seriously.

During a PSD radio programme, Director of the Criminal Investigation Department at the PSD Brigadiers General Haidar Shboul warned against the use of live ammunition in festivities.

“We will not tolerate any incident of festive shooting and will follow up on any complaint, including seizing weapons used by individuals,” Shboul warned during the radio programme.

The police official said, “We feel that there is more awareness among the public in terms of rejecting the use of live ammunition to express their joy on certain occasions.”

Therefore, Shboul added, the PSD will continue to work on raising awareness about the dangers of the use of live ammunition to celebrate the occasion.

Shboul added that there are police patrols in following up on any complaint “and we deal with all reported events in utmost secrecy”.

“We rely on the citizens’ cooperation to report shooting incidents in addition to our constant monitoring and follow-up on reported incidents,” he added.

Shboul stressed that the ultimate goal is "to ensure the safety and security of our society and to avert any deaths that could result from festive firing".

The PSD official said that if a festive shooting incident resulted in the death of an individual, then the prison term for this offence could reach 12 years.

The PSD has pledged in the past to arrest any individual who violates the law by firing live ammunition during weddings, graduation and other celebratory occasions.

The PSD vowed to keep any case involving the discharge of live ammunition open until the perpetrators are identified and prosecuted.

Nearly 50 per cent of reported incidents involving live ammunition result in the deaths or injuries of innocent victims, PSD officials stated in August.

According to the Criminal Information Department (CID) 2023 report, there were 1,998 reported gunfire incidents in the Kingdom, including 69 cases where the perpetrators were allegedly minors.

The CID report stated that 79 cases were registered as causing a threat to public safety. The report did not list the number of fatalities and injuries.