Winnipeg Police say one of their pistol magazines and the ammunition within are missing.

Public information officer constable Tammy Skrabek says they don't know a lot at this point.

"The date, there's a little bit of ambiguity around that, and that's because we're not sure when the officer lost it. He just returned to duty, and when he returned to duty he noticed that the magazine wasn't there," says Skrabek.

Police say the magazine and ammo were lost in the city of Winnipeg between December 28th and January 2nd.

Skrabek says the officer is a member of the tactical support unit, so the magazine was likely worn on the officer's chest.

"It's really hard to say what the circumstances were surrounding it missing. You know, if it's found that it was, you know, a fault with the vest itself or the carrier, that something let loose, then that might be something we look into, but right now there's no indication that it was an equipment fault, it was simply just an accident -- an accidental loss or misplacement."

Skrabek says the officer is now going over where he was last out on the street, and retracing his steps inside the police building as well.

"It's possible even while he was changing and removing his equipment that the magazine could have fallen out. An officer working the opposite shift could have picked it up, and now those two shifts don't overlap, so it's also possible that we do have it we just don't know that we have it yet."

If you find the magazine, you're asked to turn it in to police. They say the plastic magazine is black in colour and contained 14 rounds. Skrabek says there's no speculation right now that somebody stole the property.

"The concern is that it was lost or misplaced and we'd just like to have it back so it doesn't end up in the hands of the wrong people."

Skrabek says the ammo is .40 calibre; she says police aren't typically seeing those types of firearms on the streets right now.