North Bay police seizing more replica handguns from city streets

North Bay police warn replica guns, often from southern Ontario, are increasingly used in crimes and carry serious penalties.

North Bay police say officers are seeing a concerning trend in which fake guns are being used more often during crimes such as drug deals and armed robberies.

At a recent police board meeting, acting deputy chief Jeff Warner said police are trying to clamp down on the number of fake guns circulating in the community.

“They’re designed to look like a real gun,” Warner said.

He said most replica handguns originated in the Greater Toronto Area as part of drug deals here in the north. Those fake guns are now commonly used in other crimes.

“They’re being used in armed robberies, intimidation-type things and threatening complaints,” Warner told reporters.

Replica firearms and illicit drugs were seized when two people were arrested Dec. 18 following an investigation in the Fraser Street area.

Safety top priority

The accused and co-accused were arrested and held in custody pending a bail hearing.

The No. 1 concern for police is safety when they receive gun-related calls. Police have to assume the weapons are real, especially since many replica guns are difficult to distinguish from real firearms.

According to Public Safety Canada, in 2020, replica firearms were the second-most frequently used firearm in firearm-related crime after handguns.

The Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police has asked Public Safety Canada to prohibit them.

North Bay police don’t track the number of fake guns they confiscate, but that may soon change.

“When we see a real firearm, like a considered crime gun, we have to send that away for testing,” Warner said.

“We try to find the origin. We just don’t do that with replica handguns.”

Under the Criminal Code, he said the legal consequences for the use or possession of a replica firearm are comparable to those associated with a real firearm.

“I don’t know if the impression out there that is that it’s only a replica handgun, so I can’t get in as much trouble,” Warner said.

“But as I said to the board, people are wrong.”