VicPD reported an eventful week after officers seized six imitation firearms within two days while responding to separate calls.
On Thursday, January 11th, at around 8 a.m., police received reports of a man smashing windows on the ground floor of a building in the 200-block of Cook Street.
The suspect was located nearby, arrested, and underwent a thorough search where they located three imitation firearms and other items.
Included was 0.22-caliber ammunition, two ounces of drugs, and cash. The imitation firearms were Glock-style pellet guns with air-powered magazines, with a similar look and feel to the firearms used by VicPD.
The suspect had an outstanding warrant for a previous assault with a weapon incident and was later released with conditions and a future court date.
The next day on Friday, January 12th, in the 700-block of Johnson Street, VicPD received a report of an argument taking place between a man and a woman.
The man reportedly appeared to have a handgun tucked in his waistband.
After a search warrant was approved, officers entered the residence and located two starter pistols, an airsoft pistol, 0.22-caliber ammunition, and shotgun shells.
The two men inside the residence were arrested for unlawful possession of a firearm, who were both later released with conditions and a future court date.
VicPD highlighted that these frequent occurrences reflect an ongoing trend as they continue to seize an average of two real or imitation firearms per week in and around Victoria.
In 2023, officers seized 97 real and 42 imitation firearms, which is a 73% increase in real firearms compared to 2022.
