Calgary police (CPS) are sounding an alarm over the growing number of calls that officers are responding to involving air guns.
On average, CPS said officers respond to one call per day involving an air gun and recently responded to eight such calls on a single day, said Staff Sgt. Chris Tudor from the CPS firearms investigative unit, during a media briefing on the weapons at CPS headquarters on Tuesday.
According to the RCMP website, air guns can be divided into several categories under the firearms act and the criminal code — and while some high-powered air guns are subject to the same licence and registration requirements as a conventional firearm, others are not powerful enough to be classified as firearms and can be purchased freely.
However, it can be difficult to distinguish between the two.
“The realistic appearance of many air guns makes it nearly impossible to distinguish them from real firearms, especially in dynamic situations where bystanders, witnesses, and police have perceived these weapons as legitimate firearms,” said Tudor.
“When someone sees what looks like a firearm, the fear and trauma they experience is real, regardless of whether the weapon is — these incidents can escalate quickly and will result in serious response from police officers who must treat every potential threat as real.”
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Discharging an air gun within city limits is illegal. They can cause serious injuries and anyone who uses an air gun to threaten, intimidate, or in the commission of an offence, can face criminal charges.
“We’re seeing a wide range of offenses — they’re being used in threats, robberies, carjackings,” said Tudor. “I believe the top offence involving air guns is assault with a weapon.”
Staff Sgt. Sarah Roe, from the CPS Youth Education Unit, said many of the calls police are responding to involve youth.
“These weapons are not toys,” said “What may seem like a game or a prank can quickly escalate to a serious situation,” said Roe.
“I think there is an understanding that minimizes the seriousness of them. Many youth see these as just as a toy or they’re playing a game,” added Roe.
“However, that is fine as long as it’s in a supervised and in controlled environment — if it’s brought out into the public or brought into a public space, then it is seen and treated very much like a weapon. It’s no longer a toy.”
While many air guns are also not subject to the same storage and transportation requirements as real firearms, CPS recommends:
- Air guns never be carried or displayed in public;
- Be stored securely and safely out of the reach of children;
- Youth be educated on the legal risks and safety concerns surrounding the use of air guns;
- They should only be used in a safe and controlled environment; and,
- Air guns should never be discharged within city limits.
Anyone with concerns or information about the unsafe use of air guns is encouraged to report it to police by calling 403-266-1234, or 911 in an emergency.
“When the public is calling in a complaint involving an air gun, police have to treat that as a real firearm until the situation is brought to a safe conclusion,” said Tudor.
“Even then, some of these air guns have to be closely examined and tested to determine what exactly it is and what they’re capable of.”
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