Baltimore City Council Considers Ban on Toy Guns to Keep ‘City Youths’ from Getting Shot

The Baltimore City Councilman is considering a ban on toy guns as a way to prevent “city youths” from being shot by police officers.

The ban’s sponsor — Councilman James B. Kraft — introduced the bill and said the way to protect the youths is “to get the replica guns off the streets.”

According to The Baltimore Sun, the “concept” behind Kraft’s bill has the tentative support of Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake (D), but she is watching to see what happens to the bill as it goes through “the legislative process.” Mayoral spokesman Anthony McCarthy stressed that Rawlings-Blake would like to see changes that hold toy gun makers and sellers liable for incidents that occur in which the toy is involved. McCarthy said the Mayor wants to hold “manufacturers and those who are responsible for the point of sale accountable, and not families and especially our children.”

Mayoral spokesman Anthony McCarthy stressed that Rawlings-Blake would like to see changes that hold toy gun makers and sellers liable for incidents that occur in which the toy is involved. McCarthy said the Mayor wants to hold “manufacturers and those who are responsible for the point of sale accountable, and not families and especially our children.”

As currently fashioned, Kraft’s bill institutes fines for anyone “owning, carrying or otherwise possessing a replica [firearm] that could ‘reasonably be perceived to be a real firearm.'” The first offense would be $250 and the second could be as high as $1,000.

City Council President Bernard C. “Jack” Young supports Kraft’s legislation. Young’s spokesman said the bill “gives the police another tool to make sure we protect kids.”

But neither Kraft, Young, nor Rawlings-Blake explained how a bill that fines people for carrying toy guns is going to save the lives of “city youths” who conceal such guns, only displaying them when pointing them at police or other citizens.

AWR Hawkins is the Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com