Belconnen Police Station was sent into lockdown last week after a man walked inside holding a grenade.
The AFP Bomb Response Team was called to the station last Wednesday shortly after 10am when the man arrived to hand in the explosive device.
The lockdown on the station and carpark was lifted at about 11am.
ACT police are now reminding Canberrans not to bring firearms or explosive devices into police stations for declaration.
"Please do not drive around with something that could potentially go boom in your car. That's never going to end well for anybody," an ACT Policing spokesperson said.
The spokesperson said similar incidents had already happened twice this year.
"It's happened a couple of times, maybe more ... we don't want people just jumping out of a car at a police station with a shotgun tucked under their arm walking up to the front counter," he said.
"That could quickly be misinterpreted."
He said people surrendering dangerous weapons into stations had not been a "huge" inconvenience for police because the situation was resolved within the hour.
"It is a routine situation and police stations regularly get locked down for various safety reasons. We don't make a make a big public announcement about it because sometimes it just happens that we have to, we have to run through it through procedures.
"But for things like this ... imagine if you were driving along behind that car on Tuggeranong Parkway and suddenly a grenade in the boot exploded. It would not be a very pleasant experience. So we're trying to just ensure public safety in those circumstances."
Always call police first
The police spokesperson urged community members to contact police if they wish to surrender or dispose of dangerous items like firearms or explosives.
People are asked to call ACT Policing operations at 131 444 for advice.
If people are unsure whether the dangerous item is loaded, actioned, or safe - they should leave it in place and contact police.
"Please just think first and give us phone call. More often than not we'll [come] to you to render the item safe," the spokesperson said.
"If it's a potentially explosive item or a firearm, we'll make arrangements for it to be surrendered, whether that is to an officer at your place ... or to bring it to a police station or indeed to our exhibit management center in Mitchell. It will depend on the circumstances."
Information on the National Firearms Amnesty and the ACT Firearms Registry can be found on the ACT Policing website.
Anyone with information regarding dangerous weapons or explosives in the community is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000, or on the Crime Stoppers ACT website. Information can be provided anonymously.
