Victoria police say they have responded to 20 firearm reports since July 1 that ended up involving realistic pistol-shaped lighters or torches.
They are not illegal, police said, but they can cause alarm in the community, and they are cautioning people about possessing them.
“Officers regularly encounter both real and replica firearms in the line of duty, which pose serious safety risks to the public, the individuals carrying them and responding officers,” said firearms co-ordinator Sgt. Dale Sleightholme. “In situations where real or imitation firearms are involved, officers must make split-second, life or death decisions on how they respond.
“For officer safety, we treat all firearms as real until proven otherwise.”
July reports of a man with a firearm tucked in his waistband in the 300-block of Douglas Street, someone pointing a gun at a jogger in Topaz Park and a man waving around a small pistol and then a knife in the 700-block of Pandora Avenue all turned out to involve pistol-shaped lighters:
In August, an individual with what looked to be a small handgun sticking out of his backpack turned out to be carrying a lighter shaped like a pistol, but was found to have over 30 grams of suspected methamphetamine and fentanyl, a knife and a folding baton in his possession.
Despite the false alarms, police continue to urge people to contact them any time they suspect they have seen someone with a firearm in public.
