The Saanich and Victoria Police Departments emphasize the dangers and resource demands of responding to firearm calls, particularly as a recent spike in replica handgun reports raises concerns. On May 1, a young tourist alerted VicPD to a replica firearm found in Victoria’s Inner Harbour, prompting a swift response that police noted would have been treated as a real threat had it not been identified as a replica, underscoring the seriousness of such calls.
During the previous year, VicPD officers seized over 80 firearms, both real and replicas, highlighting a troubling trend as police grapple with increasing incidents involving imitation weapons. Officers acknowledge that while these replicas are not illegal, their presence in public can generate panic, ultimately draining law enforcement resources and diverting attention from genuine emergencies.
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