Gun-shaped lighters: Councillor seeks ban as they proliferate in Vancouver
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If you think selling lighters that closely resemble a real gun is a terrible idea, at least one Vancouver city councillor has your back.
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ABC Vancouver Coun. Mike Klassen has introduced a motion aiming to ban the sale of gun-shaped lighters in the city.
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The motion, which goes before council on Wednesday, says the sale of the questionable lighters has 'proliferated in the City of Vancouver over the past year, with an estimated 50-75 stores selling multiple (gun-shaped lighters), particularly in the Downtown Eastside and downtown core.'
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Because the lighters look so much like real firearms, they have led to 'public distress and a significant increase in 911 emergency calls.'
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There were 162 police calls about the lighters last year, more than half of which were classified as 'priority weapons calls' — meaning they led to a response involving several officers armed with Tasers, less-lethal beanbag shotguns and Arwen guns.
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Klassen's motion notes that the presence of the lighters in public spaces 'has resulted in multiple dangerous encounters where police officers have had to draw their firearms, creating a risk of fatal outcomes should a suspect fail to comply or appear to threaten officers or the public.'
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They've also been documented as being used in violent crimes and leading to charges for robbery, assault and weapons possession. Calls about gun-shaped lighters were predominantly in the city's core, with 46 per cent happening in the Downtown Eastside and 39 per cent in other parts of downtown Vancouver.
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The drain on police resources is significant, the motion says: 32 of the calls led to 10 or more police units being dispatched and the average time required to resolve each call was two and a half hours.
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They may be a bad idea, but gun-shaped lighters are not specifically prohibited for possession or sale under the Criminal Code of Canada. They only become illegal when used in the commission of a crime, leaving law enforcement with little recourse.
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'A proactive ban on the sale and distribution (of gun-shaped lighters) in the City of Vancouver through a bylaw or bylaw amendment would serve to enhance public safety and reduce the burden on law enforcement while other legislative measures are being explored,' the motion reads.
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