The Winnipeg Police Service has issued a safety alert cautioning the public about carrying toy firearms in light of several recent incidents involving fake guns.

Police have responded to nearly 200 firearms calls between February and May 2009, the majority of which have turned out to be either unfounded or involving suspects in possession of replica weapons like pellet guns, airsoft pistols or toy guns.

'Placing an officer in a position where they observe an individual in possession of a firearm requires them to perform a quick assessment and take appropriate action.'— Const. Jason Michalyshen

In many cases, they have a realistic appearance, and that puts police in a potentially dangerous situation.

"As many of us are aware, officers are faced with numerous decisions each and every day," Const. Jason Michalyshen said Tuesday. "Placing an officer in a position where they observe an individual in possession of a firearm requires them to perform a quick assessment and take appropriate action."

"During the past several months, numerous owners of these types of replica firearms have used them irresponsibly, causing significant alarm to the community, requiring a high priority response by police. In most cases, …the tactical support team is deployed, roadways are closed and evacuations are required, only to discover the suspect was in possession of a replica firearm."

That type of response, which garners a lot of media and public attention, results in an unnecessary level of fear in the neighbourhoods, police said.

Anyone in possession of replica guns should act responsibly, said Michalyshen, because a situation involving a fake weapon could have real consequences.