OSCE Mission to Montenegro supports awareness raising campaign that call on citizens to surrender weapons

With the support of the OSCE Mission to Montenegro, the Ministry of Interior - Police Directorate launches the “Respect Life – Return the Weapons” campaign, which should raise citizens’ awareness of the dangers and harmful consequences of firearms possession.

The Mission supported production of three videos that will be published on social networks and broadcast on national TV stations, inviting citizens to voluntarily surrender firearms to the police, without legal consequences, regardless of the category of firearms and whether they are in illegal or legal ownership.

The produced videos illustrate three different situations in which citizens decide to return their weapons and thereby protect themselves and their families. The videos also contain instructions on how citizens can surrender their weapons.

By calling the number 122, a citizen can inform the police that he/she wants to return weapons. A police officer will come to the place where the person is located, collect the weapons and issue a certificate about it. It is important to note that, primarily for safety reasons, citizens should not bring weapons to the police stations by themselves.

Since the entry into force of the Law on Weapons in 2015, a total of 2,315 firearms, 49,712 pieces of ammunition of various calibres, 419 mine-explosive devices and 1,285 parts of weapons have been returned.

The Mission and the Police Directorate express gratitude to all the citizens who have voluntarily handed over their weapons, thus contributing to the personal and safety of their families and the society as a whole.