Halifax Police concerned fake guns could lead to real violence

HALIFAX — In the first five months of 2013 there’s been nineteen shootings in the Halifax Regional Municipality, one of which claimed the life of a young Dartmouth man.

While guns on the streets of Halifax are nothing new, replica firearms are quickly turning to be a weapon of choice for many, something that’s causing concern for police.

“They look, they feel, they have the same weight as a true firearm, and our officers when they respond to a call in real time have to assume that what they’re dealing with is a real gun” said Detective Constable Michael Cheeseman, a member of the Halifax Regional Police, RCMP Integrated Guns and Gangs Unit.

The unit works to get guns off the streets of Halifax. In the past two years, police have noticed a growing trend in the use of replica firearms. Some shoot pellets, BBs or even blank rounds.

“We’re seeing individuals on the street carrying them for intimidating purposes, to use them in a criminal act. In my mind there’s no legitimate reason to have them and it may be a situation where if they can’t get their hands on an authentic hand gun, these ones look so much similar to the real ones so that’s why they’re reverting to them” said Cheeseman.

“If you just have them in your house it’s not illegal, it’s what you do with them that’s the issue” added Constable Jody Allison, also a member of the Guns and Gangs Unit.

In 2011 and 2012 nearly 700 real weapons were seized each year. So far this year, officers have seized 262 guns, plus more than 50 fake firearms in the past year. The replica guns can be bought within the city but are also coming from across North America and around the world.

Police worry that if someone uses a replica gun to intimidate, it could quickly escalate into violence, and because the fake guns look so close to the real thing, police are worried that if someone points one at an officer – it could turn deadly.

“To this point we haven’t had any officer related shootings in Nova Scotia involving replica handguns, that hasn’t been the case in other jurisdictions across North America,” said Cheeseman.