The Windsor Police Service says firearm-related calls and gun seizures increased last year.
In their 2015 crime statistics report, the Windsor Police Service responded to 444 calls about guns, an 8% increase over the service's five-year average. That includes calls where a firearm is mentioned but not necessarily seen.
Superintendent John St. Louis says officers must certainly take safety into account.
"It's something in our community that we have to be aware of as police officers," says St. Louis. "That's all part of the process of keeping the community safe."
Police seized 389 guns last year including air pistols, stun guns and crossbows, up from 316 the year before. Some of the guns were traced back to 12 different U.S. states.
St. Louis credits the increase in seizures to a better-informed citizenry who can provide police with the information they need to obtain warrants.
The bump up in gun seizures comes at the same time as a slight rise in overall crime from 2014 and St. Louis acknowledges the two could be correlated.
"Any time there is an increase in crime it's something we obviously have to take a close look at," says St. Louis.
