bzzboyz
03-31-2005, 02:49 PM
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Pellet-gun ban nears in Orland Park, Illinois
Village to vote on toys police deem indistinguishable from real thing
Tuesday, March 29, 2005
Orland Park is on the verge of banning the possession and sale of virtually all BB guns and pellet guns within village limits.
The village's police committee Monday night unanimously approved a new law that would ban the purchase, sale, possession and transfer of all "replica firearms," a term that encompasses nearly all BB guns.
The law still must be approved by the full village board April 4.
Village officials said Orland Park needs the law to combat the recent popularity of BB guns, also known as airsoft guns, that are designed to look exactly like real handguns.
Police Chief Tim McCarthy said his officers have been catching kids with the look-alike guns much more frequently in the past six months. Police fear that homeowners or police will be faced with a split-second, life-or-death decision if they see a kid with one of the guns.
"There is no citizen or police officer having one of these things pointed at them who would not think their life was in danger," McCarthy said, holding up a replica Glock handgun. "This is indistinguishable from a real Glock 33."
Earlier this month, Sandburg High School was locked down after school when a student was spotted carrying what the witness thought was a real gun. It was, in fact, a BB gun, though the student was later expelled for carrying it anyway.
Also, every member of a Sandburg sports team came back from a recent tournament trip with a look-alike gun, McCarthy said.
More ominously, police throughout the Southland say the guns, which typically cost less than $75, are being used more often in robberies as a cheap and effective alternative to buying a real gun.
If the Orland Park law is enacted, people found in possession of a replica gun would face a fine of up to $750 and as much as six months in jail.
Under current village law, anyone 13 and older can buy a replica and anyone can possess them, regardless of age.
The proposed ordinance defines a replica firearm as "any device, object, or facsimile made of plastic, wood, metal or any other material a person could reasonably perceive as an actual firearm but that is incapable of being fired or discharged."
The law makes specific exceptions for replicas used in theatrical performances and antique replicas, as long as they are outfitted with blaze-orange safety tips.
Obviously non-real-looking guns would be exempt from the law.
At the meeting Monday night, McCarthy showed off an array of replica handguns that have been seized from teenagers in recent months. Last month, he brought a replica high-caliber automatic rifle seized from a carful of teens to show trustees just how real the guns have gotten.
"The thing that is alarming is when you see how authentic these look," Trustee Brad O'Halloran said. "It's apparent the Red Ryder BB gun from 'A Christmas Story' is not what we're talking about."
Some folks, especially the village's few remaining farmers, do use BB guns to shoot small game or kill pesky animals, Trustee Kathy Fenton said.
"How are we going to handle this for the people who have these on their farm for shooting pigeons or whatever?" she said.
The enforcement of the law will likely be a tough issue, McCarthy admitted. Most folks who use the guns responsibly, on their own property, would never raise the ire of the police department, he said.
Most often, the folks being hit with fines will be those people who use the guns inappropriately or for vandalism, McCarthy said.
"Like everything else, we have to use common sense here," he said.
Pellet-gun ban nears in Orland Park, Illinois
Village to vote on toys police deem indistinguishable from real thing
Tuesday, March 29, 2005
Orland Park is on the verge of banning the possession and sale of virtually all BB guns and pellet guns within village limits.
The village's police committee Monday night unanimously approved a new law that would ban the purchase, sale, possession and transfer of all "replica firearms," a term that encompasses nearly all BB guns.
The law still must be approved by the full village board April 4.
Village officials said Orland Park needs the law to combat the recent popularity of BB guns, also known as airsoft guns, that are designed to look exactly like real handguns.
Police Chief Tim McCarthy said his officers have been catching kids with the look-alike guns much more frequently in the past six months. Police fear that homeowners or police will be faced with a split-second, life-or-death decision if they see a kid with one of the guns.
"There is no citizen or police officer having one of these things pointed at them who would not think their life was in danger," McCarthy said, holding up a replica Glock handgun. "This is indistinguishable from a real Glock 33."
Earlier this month, Sandburg High School was locked down after school when a student was spotted carrying what the witness thought was a real gun. It was, in fact, a BB gun, though the student was later expelled for carrying it anyway.
Also, every member of a Sandburg sports team came back from a recent tournament trip with a look-alike gun, McCarthy said.
More ominously, police throughout the Southland say the guns, which typically cost less than $75, are being used more often in robberies as a cheap and effective alternative to buying a real gun.
If the Orland Park law is enacted, people found in possession of a replica gun would face a fine of up to $750 and as much as six months in jail.
Under current village law, anyone 13 and older can buy a replica and anyone can possess them, regardless of age.
The proposed ordinance defines a replica firearm as "any device, object, or facsimile made of plastic, wood, metal or any other material a person could reasonably perceive as an actual firearm but that is incapable of being fired or discharged."
The law makes specific exceptions for replicas used in theatrical performances and antique replicas, as long as they are outfitted with blaze-orange safety tips.
Obviously non-real-looking guns would be exempt from the law.
At the meeting Monday night, McCarthy showed off an array of replica handguns that have been seized from teenagers in recent months. Last month, he brought a replica high-caliber automatic rifle seized from a carful of teens to show trustees just how real the guns have gotten.
"The thing that is alarming is when you see how authentic these look," Trustee Brad O'Halloran said. "It's apparent the Red Ryder BB gun from 'A Christmas Story' is not what we're talking about."
Some folks, especially the village's few remaining farmers, do use BB guns to shoot small game or kill pesky animals, Trustee Kathy Fenton said.
"How are we going to handle this for the people who have these on their farm for shooting pigeons or whatever?" she said.
The enforcement of the law will likely be a tough issue, McCarthy admitted. Most folks who use the guns responsibly, on their own property, would never raise the ire of the police department, he said.
Most often, the folks being hit with fines will be those people who use the guns inappropriately or for vandalism, McCarthy said.
"Like everything else, we have to use common sense here," he said.