Police warn youngsters about dangers of replica weapons

Firearms officers from Avon and Somerset Constabulary will be visiting young people to talk about the dangers of guns and imitation weapons. A presentation and workshop will educate students on how dangerous it can be to carry an imitation firearm, warning that if a member of the public cannot tell whether a firearm is fake or genuine, how can an officer?

The session begins with an overview of the police firearms department. The young people are then able to look around an armed response vehicle and the weapons and kit, including a G36 carbine and a Taser.

The officers then give the students a gun quiz; they get to handle six weapons, including a real Glock 17, and have to try to decide which are fake and which are real, to demonstrate how hard it is to tell the difference.

The youngsters are then divided into groups to take part in a potential firearms scenario, explaining how they think it should be dealt with. The officers conclude the session by giving an overview and demonstration of how the situation would be resolved.

The presentation and workshop, held at the Sydenham Drop-In Scheme in East Bridgwater, is part of Operation Tommy, which aims to educate young people on firearms and the risks of being found in possession of BB guns and other imitation weapons in public places.

Avon and Somerset Constabulary firearms officer, PC Simeon Marshall, who helps coordinate Operation Tommy, said: “These presentations are designed to engage with young people directly to make them aware of the law and how offences involving weapons, real or not, are dealt with. Being found in possession of a replica or BB gun in a public place is illegal.

“Many young people perhaps don’t realise that what begins with what they consider to be harmless fun, maybe mucking about with a BB gun for example, could perhaps result in the police being called as it is extremely difficult to tell the difference between a real gun and an imitation.”

Of all incidents requiring armed police attendance in Avon and Somerset, 90 per cent are found to involve imitation guns or air weapons, but each time an armed response unit is called it costs approximately £2,000.

PC Marshall adds: “Obviously, the last thing a firearms officer wants to do is to use their weapon, although we would not have any hesitation in doing so should a situation ever arise that meant anyone was at risk.

“We much prefer to resolve situations by talking to people and ideally to avoid any prospective situations by educating people and making them aware of the law, potential risks and consequences; that is the overall aim of workshops such as this.

“We very much enjoy running these workshops and so far they have been really well received by the young people attending. It is a serious subject obviously, but we do also have some fun in the process.”