American Samoa's commissioner of public safety, William Haleck, says a gun amnesty is a good suggestion for dealing with illegal guns in the territory.
The commissioner says the presence of illegal weapons is one of the reasons why he has pushed for officers to be armed.
He says their plan is to train officers in the use of batons and tasers before starting weapons training by the middle of next year.
Mr Haleck says a gun amnesty would help to get illegal weapons out of the community.
"The law forbids you from owning a handgun. You can own a shotgun, you can own a 22 but when it comes to handguns, law enforcement officers are the only ones authorised to have these things on island."
American Samoa's commissioner of public safety, William Haleck.
