Auckland police are warning an increase in numbers of people carrying fake guns may result in real deaths.
Officers have reported a surge of arrests and seizures of air rifles and imitation pistols in South Auckland in the past six months.
Police were attending two or three incidents a week which "invite an armed response" , Counties Manukau operations manager Inspector David Simpson told the New Zealand Herald.
The incidents mainly involved youths and young men in their 20s.
"We have to make a split-second decision and there isn't time to look at the calibre of the barrel to see if it's imitation or not. We just have to go on what's in front of us," Mr Simpson said.
No one had been hurt yet, though he warned it was a matter of time.
"It's not because we're not trained well, but because of the intensity of the situation," Mr Simpson said.
He said police had no explanation for the increase in callouts over the imitations, suggesting television may have something to do with it.
Mr Simpson spoke of a callout on October 27, where up to four patrols were involved after a man pulled a pistol-shaped cigarette lighter on another driver after a road rage incident in Pakuranga.
In another incident several years ago, police had shot a man who brandished a replica pistol while on a P binge, he said.
"We have to treat these incidents seriously and it would be a real tragedy if we shot someone and they turned out to only be in possession of a `replica' firearm."
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