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WILL THE REAL WEAPON PLEASE STAND OUT. . .
But it doesn’t, does it? You are looking at
one real handgun, and one “toy” currently available at local
retailers to anyone who has the money for it—no age requirements,
no questions asked. Here you have the leisure to examine them in a well-lit,
detailed photo with all the time in the world to search for clues as to
authenticity.
Now imagine it’s dark, you are a police officer, and you are responding to a nervous citizen’s call about unusual activity in the neighborhood. As you exit your squad car, you see someone turn to you and pull either one of these guns from a pocket. You MUST respond in the manner that assures your own and the public’s safety.
As you can imagine, there probably won’t be a happy ending to that scenario.
The consequences of possessing such a “toy” can be devastating, but are predictable. It may be legal to own such items, but does it make any sense? No officer can afford to wait and ask “Is it real?” before defending themselves and the citizens they are charged to protect from the display of such a weapon—real or fake. Whether it’s found in a scenario like the one described above, observed through the window of a car, or used in the commission of a crime, the response to one of these ultra-realistic toys will be exactly the same as to an actual weapon.
Orono and other cities served by this department also have ordinances which ban the discharge of weapons including, among others, air rifles and BB guns within city limits. Contact your city hall for the specifics of the ordinance in your area.
Please think about it before purchasing one of these imitation guns, either for yourself or your children’s use. What starts out as a game may have deadly consequences.
Note: The gun in the top of the photo is a real Beretta, the bottom gun is the toy--a Smith and Wesson immitation manufactured in Taiwan that shoots plastic pellets.
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