ON Monday, June 24 at approximately 10 p.m., New Westminster Police received a 9-1-1 call from a security guard who said he saw a man with a handgun in the vicinity of Tanaka Court and Gifford Street. Officers rushed to the area and arrested the suspect who was found to have what appeared to be a handgun in his possession.

The handgun was seized and upon closer inspection, it was found to be a replica firearm. This incident is still under investigation and weapons-related offences will be recommended, police said.

“We take all calls possibly involving firearms very seriously,” said Sgt. Andrew Leaver on Thursday. “To ensure everyone’s safety, we treat all firearms as real until we can prove otherwise. We discourage people carrying these.”