Chang defends FLA leadership amid Integrity Commission report

Minister of National Security Dr Horace Chang says he retains full confidence in the leadership of the Firearm Licensing Authority (FLA), defending Chief Executive Officer Shane Dalling and the agency’s board amid concerns raised in a report by the Integrity Commission.

The 131-page report, tabled in Parliament late Tuesday, uncovered the intentional manipulation of official digital records, inventory management failures, and the loss of critical electronic evidence following a server failure at the agency.

The Opposition has since called for Dalling’s resignation, arguing that the findings highlighted serious failings under his leadership.

But Chang, addressing a meeting of the Area 5 Police, insisted that the FLA has undergone significant transformation in recent years and has established systems that are effective and transparent.

“I have confidence in the board we have. It has the integrity, the professionalism and the capacity to provide effective leadership and I have a CEO who works with his board to carry out the changes necessary to make FLA one of the finest, one of the best to be in the region,” Chang said.

He argued that the agency’s systems have been strengthened over time and have been tested both internally and externally.

“In addition to that, we have had more than one occasion in recent times where the investigators or the police, supported by the DPP and MOCA, have used the data from the FLA to anchor serious cases and that was successful, which means the process has been tested in our highest court and has stood up to the test of all the legal parameters required to ensure we have a good system in place,” he said.

“We don't claim to be perfect, but we claim to be making major advances to improve the management of the FLA.”

Chang said the ministry conducts audits and overnight reviews and indicated that further assessments will be undertaken in response to the Integrity Commission’s findings.

“We will not ignore the comments of the Integrity Commission, we take note of them and we'll again take a look at the entire process,” he said.

He acknowledged that mistakes had been made but maintained that the FLA remains committed to integrity and transparency.

“The CEO and the staff and the board members are all people of high integrity and committed to quality standards,” Chang said.

He also dismissed concerns about missing weapons, insisting that the agency’s armoury remains secure.

“There are no firearms or ammunition missing from the armoury and we are satisfied that they have made major progress in evolving an acceptable system with integrity and transparency,” he stated.

Chang said the leadership team has played a critical role in improving oversight and management within the firearms industry, which he described as a critical area of national security.

“I can say that the current CEO and the board that oversees have worked hard to build out a system at FLA which is effective and transparent,” he said.

He further disclosed that efforts to establish a new headquarters for the agency remain under way, revealing that land has already been identified and secured under a 50-year lease agreement.

While standing firmly behind the agency’s leadership, Chang reiterated that the government intends to continue strengthening systems at the FLA.

“We have a good board and a good chief executive officer with a team of people behind him who are doing excellent work to manage the firearms industry in Jamaica,” he said.

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