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Halifax police say they’re issuing a “plea” to youth about imitation firearms and the danger they pose both for the community and the young people themselves.
Halifax Regional Police (HRP) spoke to media Wednesday about the “concerning trend” they’ve noticed.
“There’s a real possibility of us going to these calls three times a week that somebody could end up shot and dead by the police,” said Staff Sgt. Nick Pepler, a member of HRP’s Special Enforcement Section.
“And that will involve an inquiry, an investigation. And that’s one of us going home knowing we shot somebody that didn’t have a real gun in their hand.”
According to the force, they’ve responded to 60 incidents since Jan. 1 involving BB guns or airsoft guns, and 20 of those incidents involved youth. Pepler said those statistics were pulled last week, and they’ve already responded to “numerous” calls involving youth and imitation firearms since then.
Pepler, who displayed a selection of recently-seized replica firearms for reporters, says the concern is that the imitation firearms look so realistic, it’s hard for the public or police to tell if they’re real.
“These are not toys. I want you to imagine someone carrying one of these outside of a school where your children attend or seeing someone draw and point one of those weapons inside of a family restaurant,” he said.
“This is a real sense of fear that comes with seeing a weapon produced in our community.”
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He adds that officers have to make “split-second decisions to save lives” when there is perceived danger, and they could respond as if they were real.
“If police see a weapon like those beside me drawn in a threatening manner, there is no time for us to stop and determine whether or not that gun is a replica,” Pepler said.
“Do not put yourself in that kind of situation.”
He points to a recent incident at a Halifax-area McDonald’s where a group of teens were seen waving what appeared to be real firearms.
A 15-year-old youth is facing several charges in that case, including possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose and carrying a concealed weapon.
“We responded to that complaint armed with a real firearm. We can’t tell the difference,” he said.
Giles Crouch, a digital anthropologist, recently told Global News that incidents like these can spread fear in communities once they start spreading online.
“It creates mental distress and anxiety in the general public when they see these things happen. You know we’ve gone through some shooting situations in Nova Scotia, like Portapique and other crises,” he said. “This just makes us more on edge.”
Pepler says the annual “Senior Assassin” game, where Grade 12 students chase and eliminate each other with water pistols, has also presented a problem. Police have seen instances where the water guns are painted black, and aren’t obvious toys.
As well, he believes modern airsoft and BB guns have become more realistic in recent years and even the use of 3D printers to make imitation firearms.
“There’s an uptake also in the HRM where we’ve actually done a search recently in Bedford West, I believe, where we seized multiple 3D printers and they were actively printing fake firearms,” he said.
He says he believes current laws are sufficient but that youth are bypassing them.
“Right now, you have to be 18 to purchase one of these guns,” he said. “It’s just they’re getting into the hands of our youth by things called straw purchasing. So other people making that purchase and then selling it or through other illegal means.”
All this has him concerned.
“This plea also extends to parents, guardians, teachers, and anyone that can help us spread the message. Imitation firearms should not be mishandled.”
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