The first season of Lower Decks alone makes a few very big and weird errors for the sake of causing some story conflict.

For instance; officer replicators adding garnishes to food. Except we've always know that the food you create out of a replicator can be programmed to be whatever you like it to be. Any replicator can also be used to generate tools, or weapons.

Which brings me to that other ship that has these newer model tools... And one of the characters stole a bunch of them. Clearly that tool isn't a classified prototype, otherwise why wouid a low ranking crewman know about it and how would he be able to steal a whole lot of them? So if he really wanted one, why didn't he just pull up the file in a replicator and just... Replicate one?

If they choose. There's very likely a fitness and aptitude requirement for serving as an officer in Starfleet. But for civilians... It would be up to them.