Lighters that look like guns a growing concern in Victoria, police say

Lighters shaped like pistols are seen in this image handed out by the Victoria Police Department.

Police in Victoria, B.C. issued a warning this week about lighters that look like pistols, saying they have received 20 reports of firearms in public spaces since July 1 that turned out to be gun-shaped torches.

The Victoria Police Department says that while pistol-shaped lighters are not illegal to possess, they can easily be mistaken for real firearms, especially when they’re tucked into waistbands or poking out of back pockets, which can cause alarm in the community and lead to “resource-intensive” and “high-priority” police responses.

The department cited a handful incidents that unfolded over the summer, which included members of the public reporting a suspect brandishing, pointing or possessing a gun—and the weapon ended up being a lighter shaped like a pistol.

"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 Sgt. Dale Sleightholme, firearms co-ordinator with the VicPD in a Thursday news release.

“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,” he continued.

The VicPD cautioned those who own pistol-shaped lighters about having them out in public, and told the community to still call police if they suspect someone is possessing a firearm.