TexasCHLforum.com

As I recall, John Dillinger broke out of prision with a fake gun he made out of wood and shoe polish.

Next on the list...they'll ban replica paint kits like NYC

Looks like this may be the first result of Laura Miller's visit with Bloomberg.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent ... 0650e.html


"Council may ban realistic toy guns
Dallas: Law would forbid sale of highly realistic fake weapons

12:00 AM CDT on Friday, June 16, 2006
By SCOTT FARWELL / The Dallas Morning News


Soon, it may be illegal to sell or play with some toy guns in Dallas.

A proposed ordinance considered by the Dallas City Council on Wednesday would ban businesses from hawking highly realistic fake weapons and kids from playing with them in public.

The proposal is being refined in the city's Public Safety Committee and is expected to be adopted later this month.

The Rev. David L. Ferrell, pastor of Trinity Valley Missionary Baptist Church in West Dallas, said that toy guns being sold in the city – in some cases off the back of ice cream trucks – could easily be confused with real guns. He spoke Wednesday before the City Council.

In the dark, or in a tense moment, a police officer may make a fatal mistake. He said facsimile firearms have been used to commit carjackings and robberies.

"We're just asking our city to enforce something that makes perfect sense and can save the lives of children," said Mr. Ferrell, chairman of a committee of Weed and Seed, a community service group supporting the ordinance. "We understand this is going to be an uphill battle, but we just want to do everything we can to stop the proliferation of violence in our community."

Similar ordinances have been passed in Plano, Carrollton and Highland Park in recent years. Replica weapons are banned in Baltimore; Hartford, Conn.; and Akron, Ohio. Public officials in other cities have expressed concern the laws are vague and difficult to enforce.

David L. Carter, a University of Michigan professor who directed a nationwide study of replica-gun-related shootings in the 1980s, has said the laws are well-intentioned but ineffective.

"In nearly every case we researched [of an officer shooting someone who had a fake gun], I don't think it would have made a difference if there had been an ordinance in place," he said in an earlier interview with The Dallas Morning News.

The main benefit, he said, is to protect police departments from liability.

"I think we probably can restrict the possession in public places," Dallas Police Chief David Kunkle told City Council members this week, "but the best answer could be to prohibit the sale of these kinds of weapons."

The law is also supported by members of the City Council and the Public Safety Committee.

Proponents say the toy guns are frequently sold in southern Dallas, at popular bazaars and convenience stores. A few of the toy weapons collected have laser sights.

Amir Rupani, owner of King Wholesale distributors in Dallas and past chairman of the Asian-American Chamber of Commerce, said the restriction makes sense.

Mr. Rupani said the toy guns he wholesales to stores would never be mistaken for actual firearms.

"They're clear and lightweight plastic," he said. "I'm selling toys. They'd never be confused with real guns.""